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NOV  o  1916 


BV  2788  .S7  M3  1916 

McLean,  Robert. 

Old  Spain  in  new  America 


OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 


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OLD  SPAIN 
IN  NEW  AMERICA 


BY 

ROBERT  MCLEAN 

Superintendent  of  Mexican  Work  in  South  West  Home  Mission 
Board  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A. 

AND  / 

GRACE  PETRIE  WILLIAMS 


Illustrated 


Issued  by  the 
COUNCIL  OF  WOMEN  FOR  HOME  MISSIONS 

124  East  28th  Street,    New  York 


Copyright,  1916,  bt 
J.  F.  McTyier 


FOREWORD 

There  seemed  to  the  General  Committee  of  Twenty- 
eight,  to  which  is  committed  the  choice  of  topics  for  the 
text  books  for  mission  study,  one  outstandingly  ap- 
propriate subject  for  1916 — "The  Two  Americas." 

The  national  pride  in  the  physical  achievement  of  a 
completed  Panama  Canal  has  crystallized  into  appre- 
ciation of  the  new  problems  and  greater  responsibilities 
coming  to  the  United  States  with  the  easier  access  to 
the  West  Coast  of  South  America,  and  with  the  draw- 
ing together  of  all  the  peoples  of  the  two  continents. 
The  continued  disturbances  in  Mexico  have  aroused 
more  earnest  inquiry  into  the  conditions  that  exist  In 
that  unfortunate  country,  and  the  reiterated  demands 
for  intervention  by  this  government  have  emphasized 
its  nearness  to  us. 

The  Expositions  of  San  Francisco  and  San  Diego 
have  acquainted  the  people  of  the  North  with  the  ad- 
vance made  by  the  countries  of  the  Southern  Continent : 
the  Pan-American  Scientific  Congress  held  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  in  January,  1916,  and  the  Congress  on  Chris- 
tian Work  in  Latin  America  held  at  Panama,  February, 
1916,  have  concentrated  attention  on  the  Spanish 
speaking  peoples  of  the  two  continents  and  the  adjacent 
islands. 

With  such  introductions  what  more  logical  than  that 


vi  FOREWORD 

the  churches  should  this  year  study  their  relation  to 
the  Latin-American  peoples  who  are  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Christ? 

The  Home  Mission  text  book  of  necessity  confines 
itself  to  a  study  of  those  groups  which  live  under  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  i.e.,  the  Mexicans  living  in  the 
United  States,  and  the  Spanish  speaking  peoples  of 
Porto  Rico  and  Cuba.  •  The  latter  group,  being  under 
the  protection  of  this  country,  has  been  accepted  as 
Home  Mission  territory  by  most  of  the  denominations 
and  is,  therefore,  included  here. 

Believing  that  the  Christian  Church  must  be  mightily 
aroused  as  to  its  responsibility  for  the  Spanish  speak- 
ing peoples  of  the  continents,  so  that  spiritual  growth 
may  keep  pace  with  material  development,  the  Council 
of  Women  for  Home  Missions,  representing  the 
Women's  Home  Mission  Boards  of  sixteen  denomina- 
tions, prayerfully  sends  forth  this  little  book,  trusting 
that  through  its  agency  there  may  be  awakened  a  more 
responsive  interest  in  those  peoples  who  represent 
"  Old  Spain  "  in  "  New  America." 

PuBUCATioN  Committee. 


Acknowledgment  is  made  to  Mr.  R.  C.  Tillinghast,  The 
Congregational  Education  Society,  The  Woman's  Board  of 
Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  The  Ameri- 
can Missionary  Society,  for  the  pictures  used  as  illustrations 
in  this  book. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

SPAIN  IN  AMERICA 3 

Period  of  Exploration  and  Conquest 

Aim   of   Early   Explorers 4 

Discovery  of   America S 

Search  for  the  Fountain  of  Youth 6 

Conquest  of  Mexico 7 

Discovery  of  the  Mississippi  River 8 

Revolt  of  the  Pueblos g 

Capture  of   Acoma 12 

Settlement  of  Florida  by  Menendez 13 

Results  of  Spanish  Conquest 

Population 14 

Mixture   of   Races IS 

Education  in  Latin  America   ...*....  16 

Indian    Opposition 17 

Why  Spanish  Efforts  in  the  New  World  Failed 

Advantages  of  Spain 18 

Reasons  for  Spanish  Failure .  19 

Words  of  a  Spanish  Statesman .20 

Comparison  of  Spanish  and  English  Colonization  .     *  21 

Advantages  of  Saxon  Colonization .22 

Other  Elements  Contributed  to  Strengthen  America  .  23 

The  Nineteenth  Century 

CHAPTER  II 

FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  . 29 

Missionary- Work  of  the  Spanlards 

Religious  Motive 29 

Attitude  of  Natives   ...........  30 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

,,   Destructive  Policy  of  Clergy ^^ 

V-Consecrated    Missionaries 34 

Second  Capture  of  Acoma 35 

>The    Inquisition 36 

Religion    of    Mexicans 37 

The  Old  Missions 37 

Beginnings  of  Protestant  Missions 

Early  Missionaries 3I8 

Mexican    People 41 

Hindrances  to  Missionary  Efforts 42 

Power  of  God's  Word 43 

The  Penitentes 

A  Land  of  Crosses 

CHAPTER  HI 

REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST 51 

Conditions  with  Which  Missionaries  Contend 

Superstition  and  Belief  in  Witches 54 

Power  of   Priest 55 

Customs        58 

The  Saloon 60 

Work  of  the  Churches 

Evangelistic 61 

Educational 63 

Medical 68 

Social 70 

Results  of  Missionary  Work 

In  Homes 71 

Testimony  of   Roman   Catholics 71 

Pupils   Sent  Out 72 

Desire  to  Help  Others   .     ., 72 

Our  Missionary  Teachers 
Is  THE  Work  Worth  While? 


CONTENTS  ix 
CHAPTER  IV 

PAGE 

CUBA  PARA  CRISTO 79 

Three  Glimpses  of  Cuban  History 

Days  of  Splendor 79 

Ten  Years'  War 8i 

Cuba  Libre 82 

Cuba  of  To-day 

Geography  and  Climate 84 

Who  Are  the  Cubans  of  To-day? 85 

Cuban  Character 86 

Internal  Improvements  Begun  by  United  States  .     .  88 

Education   in    Cuba 89 

Religious  Work  in  Cuba 

Intolerance  of  Spain 90 

Evangelistic   Work 92 

Educational  Work 94 

Cuba  para  Cristo 96 

Cubans  in  the  United  States 

CHAPTER  V 

OUR  NEW  POSSESSION .  loi 

Under  the  Power  of  Spain 

Discovery  and  Colonization loi 

Ponce  de  Leon 103 

Diego  Columbus 103 

Coming  of  the  Negroes 104 

Better  Days 104 

Freedom  of  the  Slaves 104 

Spanish  Misrule     ..    ^.i    :•. 105 

Our  New  Possession 

Government       ..•;.. 105 

Physical  Conditions     .: 107 

Sanitation  and  Health 108 


X  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Development  of  Education  in  Porto  Rico 

Educational  Conditions  Under  Spanish  Occupation  .  no 
•Growth  of  Schools  Under  United  States   .     .     .     .no 

Religious  and  Moral  Condition  of  the  Porto  Ricans 

Under  Spanish  Domination 112 

Protestant  Entrance 114 

Church  Comity 114 

Missionary  Work 115 

Encouragements 116 

Effect  on  the  Catholic  Church 116 

Social  Service 

Religious    Settlements 1 18 

Orphanages        120 

Medical  Work 120 

The  Symbol  of  Liberty 

CHAPTER  VI 

A  NEW  ERA 127 

Missionary  Work  Among  Spanish  Speaking  Peoples 

Evangelistic  Results 127 

Educational  Results 128 

Medical  and  Social  Work 128 

General  Results 

Awakened   Peoples 130 

A  Christian  Sabbath 131 

Comity .132 

Larger  Aims  tgs.  the  Future 

Better  Understanding  of  Spanish-Americans  .     .     .  133 

Better  Knowledge  of  Spanish 134 

Better  Knowledge  of  Mexicans  in  United  States  .     .  135 

Leaders  of  Their  Own  People 136 

Educational  Work 138 

More  Work  for  the  Homes 138 

Extension  of  Medical  Work 139 

Opportunity  God's  Call  to  Action 

Call  to  Cuba  aad  Porto  Rico  Answered 140 


CONTENTS  xi 

PAGE 

Home  Missions  Our  Defense 141 

A  Lost  Opportunity 141 

What  Can  We  Do? 142 

The  Bearing  on  Home  Missions 143 

The  Church's   Problem 145 

APPENDIX 149 

Concerning  the  Great  Southwest 149 

Population 149 

Cuban   Facts 150 

Porto  Rican  Figures 152 

Protestant  Missions  to  Spanish  Americans  .     .     .     .15^ 

Cuba 153 

Porto  Rico ' .154 

In  the  Southwest 155 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 160 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Mission  of   San   Xavier  del  Bac   ....    Frontispiece 

PAGE 

Map  of  Spanish  Possessions  at  Time  of  Louisiana  Vim- 
CHASE 26 

The  Penitentes 44 

Southwestern  Desert 50 

Santiago  de  Cuba 66 

Typical  Porto  Rican  Mountain  Home 114 

Public  School  at  Arecibo 114 

Modern  Mission  School  in  the  Southwest  ....  130 

Day  Nursery  in  Porto  Rico 130 


PREFACE 

The  marked  difference  between  Saxon  and  Latin 
America  cannot  be  due  wholly  to  climate  or  to  race. 
There  must  be  contributing  causes  that  have  removed 
the  stimulus  from  the  people  of  Latin  America ;  there 
must  have  been  a  fundamental  lack  in  their  system  that 
would  account  for  their  lack  of  progress.  As  the  re- 
ligious faith  of  a  nation  largely  determines  its  progress 
and  its  destiny,  it  seems  legitimate  to  ask  whether  the 
form  of  Christianity  introduced  long  ago  has  not 
proved  itself  inadequate  to  create  a  civilization  that 
would  develop  the  best  qualities  of  those  who  ac- 
cepted it. 

Great  honor  is  due  those  early  missionaries  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  who  came  with  the  explorers 
and  adventurers,  and  who  alone  mitigated  to  the  In- 
dians the  severities  of  the  conquerors.  They  planted 
many  missions  but  they  committed  the  fatal  error  of 
adapting  Christian  worship  to  the  beliefs  and  practices 
of  pagan  tribes.  Instead  of  Christianizing  paganism, 
they  allowed  their  Christianity  to  become  paganized. 
In  the  place  of  patiently  teaching  right  thinking  and 
right  living  to  the  Indians,  the  more  expeditious 
method  was  adopted  of  having  the  converts  conform 
mechanically  to  a  system  differing  but  slightly  from 
that  they  had  always  practiced.     The  Roman  Catholic 

xiii 


xiv  PREFACE 

Church  did  so  many  wonderful  things  in  the  two 
Americas  that  it  is  impossible  not  to  grieve  that  there 
should  not  have  been  that  deeper  knowledge  of  truth 
that  would  have  laid  in  this  hemisphere  the  foundation 
of  a  spiritual  and  vital  religion. 

The  Protestant  founders  of  this  nation  brought  with 
them  high  ideals  and  a  true  knowledge  of  spiritual 
things ;  the  nation  they  founded  has  often  failed  at  the 
testing  times,  but  those  ideals  have  ever  been  before  it 
and  toward  them  it  has  striven.  The  churches  thus  es- 
tablished have  sought  the  highest  development  of  the 
individual,  they  have  demanded  that  his  personal  ac- 
ceptance of  Christian  truths  and  his  transformed  life 
shall  conform;  they  have  sought  a  regenerated  social 
conscience  and  works  that  should  show  to  a  doubting 
world  the  truth  of  their  professions. 

The  mission  of  the  Protestant  Church  is  not  to  de- 
stroy the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  but  to  bring  it  into 
cooperation  with  all  Christian  forces  on  the  one  foun- 
dation Christ  Jesus,  and  for  the  one  work,  to  make  Him 
known  as  King  and  Lord.  Recognizing  the  splendid 
men  and  women  of  that  communion,  we  are  yet  face  to 
face  with  the  fact  that  its  system,  left  to  itself,  is  one 
that  breeds  paralysis. 

The  Spanish-American  peoples  offer  wonderful  pos- 
sibilities to  those  communions  that  are  ready  to  meet 
them  with  vital,  transforming  truths ;  there  must  be  a 
close  union  of  all  the  forces  that  are  Christian  to  carry 
to  a  successful  conclusion  one  of  the  greatest  tasks  of 
the  Church. 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA 


"  My  men  grow  mutinous  day  by  day, 
My  men  grow  ghastly  wan  and  weak." 

The  stout  mate  thought  of  home;  a  spray 
Of  salt  wave  washed  his  swarthy  cheek. 

"  What  shall  I  say,  brave  Admiral,  say, 
If  we  sight  naught  but  seas  at  dawn?" 

"Why,  you  shall  say  at  break  of  day, 

*  Sail  on  I   sail  on  I  sail  on,  and  on  I '  " 

Joaquin  Miller, 

"And  while  he  held  above  his  head  the  conquering  flag  of 
Spain, 

He  waved  his  glancing  sword  and  smote  the  waters  of  the 
main; 

For  Rome  I  For  Leon !  For  Castile !  thrice  gave  the  cleav- 
ing blow, 

And  thus  Balboa  claimed  the  sea  four  hundred  years  ago." 

T.  B.  Read. 


OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA 

The  early  maps  of  the  United  States  showed  west  of 
the  Missouri  River  a  vast  stretch  of  country  extending 
to  and  beyond  the  Rockies  marked  "  The  Great  Amer- 
ican Desert."  The  steady  progress  of  civiHzation  has 
redeemed  that  desert  and  it  is  now  the  great  granary  of 
the  North  American  continent.  The  titilization  of  the 
streams,  the  opening  of  the  fountains  held  in  reserve 
by  the  bountiful  Creator,  and  the  planting  of  forests 
to  conserve  the  rainfall,  have  made  the  "  desert "  the 
happy  dwelling  place  of  throngs  of  prosperous  people. 
Millions  of  acres  of  the  public  domain  are  still  unre- 
deemed, and  await  the  action  of  the  government  in 
developing  their  resources  to  make  them  the  fit  habita- 
tion of  the  millions  who  will  yet  come  to  our  shores. 

Scattered  throughout  this  great  region  are  the  mis- 
sions of  the  Protestant  Church  to  the  Mexicans,  one  of 
our  great  Spanish  speaking  peoples.  To  understand 
the  Mexican  of  the  United  States  as  he  now  presents, 
himself,  we  must  know  the  elements  of  which  he  is  com- 
posed. We  cannot,  in  our  discussion  of  the  Mexican, 
missionary  problem  in  the  United  States,  separate  it: 

3 


4  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

from  the  problem  in  old  Mexico.  The  problem  was 
created  while  yet  our  whole  Southwest  was  under  the 
Mexican  flag,  or,  farther  back,  under  that  of  Spain. 
The  Spanish  population  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
United  States  is  the  product  of  Spanish  activity  in  ex- 
ploration and  colonization  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and 
the  character  and  condition  of  the  people  must  be  inter- 
preted in  the  light  of  the  character,  teachings,  and  con- 
ditions of  that  age. 

Old  Spain  has  left  her  impress  upon  the  whole 
Southwest.  Spanish  names  cling  to  villages  and 
towns ;  the  language  and  religion  of  Spain  are  to  a  great 
extent  the  language  and  religion  of  today ;  the  results 
of  her  persecution  and  oppression  are  everywhere 
visible.  It  is  the  Spain  of  Philip  the  Second,  the  Spain 
that  has  not  been  touched  to  any  degree  by  the  spirit 
of  modern  progress,  the  Spain  that  is  not  in  harmony 
with  American  ideals  or  American  ideas  of  intellectual 
or  spiritual  growth.  The  churches  of  America  have 
no  greater  task  than  the  transformation  by  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Gospel  of  this  bit  of  Old  Spain  into  a  re- 
gion that  shall  possess  the  highest  ideals  of  the  New 
America. 

Period  of  Exploration  and  Conquest 

Aim  of  the  Early  Explorers.  The  fifteenth  century 
was  distinguished  as  a  period  of  great  physical  activity 
among  men.  There  were  voyages,  discoveries,  and  ex- 
plorations; there  were  many  new  inventions,  chief 
among  them  the  mariner's  compass.  Two  trade  routes 
between  Europe  and  the  East  had  been  used  for  cen- 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  5 

tiiries,  but  the  capture  of  Constantinople  by  the  Turks 
in  1453  closed  the  northern  route  while  the  southern 
was  practically  under  the  control  of  Venice.  The  other 
powers  hoped  to  find  a  new  way  to  the  Indies,  and 
Portuguese  navigators,  by  following  the  coast  of 
Africa,  finally  reached  their  goal.  The  new  theory 
advanced  that  the  earth  was  round  led  others  to  be- 
lieve they  would  achieve  success  by  sailing  westward. 
The  Discovery  of  America.  Columbus  was  the  first 
to  try  to  prove  that  such  a  route  was  possible.  The 
story  of  his  attempt  to  equip  an  expedition,  of  the 
courage  of  the  leader,  and  of  the  despair  of  the  sailors 
is  familiar  to  all.  Columbus  did  not  realize  his  desire ; 
but  he  opened  to  the  world  a  new  continent.  The  great 
navigator  was  received  with  the  highest  honors  by  the 
Spanish  when  he  returned  from  his  first  voyage  with 
trophies  of  conquest,  and  men  were  eager  to  embark 
with  him  on  succeeding  voyages.  As  the  Pope,  whose 
authority  was  recognized  by  most  rulers,  had  granted 
Portugal  the  land  she  had  discovered  along  the  African 
coast,  Spain  asked  that  the  countries  in  the  west  be 
guaranteed  to  her.  The  Pope  was  desirous  of  peace, 
and  decided  that  Spain  should  hold  all  the  lands  west  of 
a  line  three  hundred  and  seventy  leagues  west  of  the 
Cape  Verde  Islands  that  were  not  already  claimed  by 
some  Christian  power,  while  Portugal  was  to  have 
possession  of  the  eastern  regions.  Many  men  accom- 
panied Columbus  on  his  second  and  third  voyages  and 
colonies  were  established  in  the  islands  discovered  by 
him,  but  there  was  great  disappointment  in  Spain  be- 
cause the  riches  they  had  expected  were  not  found. 


6  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

His  popularity  later  declined  and  he  became  an  object 
of  derision;  by  the  common  people  he  was  called  the 
"Admiral  of  Mosquito  Land,"  and  broken-hearted, 
practically  disgraced,  he  died  in  poverty. 

The  Search  for  the  Fountain  of  Youth.  Ponce  de 
Leon  was  one  of  the  many  whose  desire  for  wealth  and 
adventure  led  them  to  the  New  World.  He  was  gov- 
ernor of  Porto  Rico,  but,  losing  the  favor  of  the  King, 
was  removed  from  his  office.  The  desire  for  gold  had 
not  been  satisfied  and  a  still  greater  desire  possessed 
him.  De  Leon  had  heard  strange  stories  of  the  land 
where  there  was  a  Fountain  of  Immortality.  It  seemed 
to  him  well  worth  while  to  seek  out  this  fountain,  to 
bathe  therein,  and  then  live  to  enjoy  the  wealth  and 
power  he  felt  sure  would  be  in  the  new  land.  The 
King  of  Spain  gave  his  consent  to  the  undertaking,  ap- 
pointing de  Leon  governor  for  life  of  the  country  he 
planned  to  discover.  An  expedition  was  fitted  out  at 
great  expense.  The  men  sailed  from  island  to  island 
searching  for  the  fountain  and  for  gold,  and  on  Easter 
Sunday,  15 13,  called  by  the  Spaniards  "  Pascua  de 
Flores,"  the  coast  of  Florida  was  sighted.  Three  days 
later  the  men  landed,  and  because  of  the  day  when  it 
was  first  seen,  and  the  profusion  of  beautiful  flowers 
and  foliage,  de  Leon  named  the  land  Florida.  The 
search  for  the  Fountain  of  Immortality  was  continued 
unsuccessfully  and  de  Leon,  bitterly  disappointed,  re- 
turned to  Porto  Rico.  A  few  years  later  he  went  back 
to  his  province  of  Florida  only  to  receive  a  mortal 
wound  from  the  arrow  of  one  of  the  Indians  who  op- 
posed his  landing.     His  entire  wealth  was  lost  in  this 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  7 

last  expedition  and  sick,  old,  and  impoverished,  he  re- 
turned to  Cuba  to  die. 

The  Conquest  of  Mexico,  Spanish  history  of  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  records  stories  of 
adventure  and  romance  that  seem  almost  incredible  to 
people  of  the  twentieth  century,  but  it  tells  no  more 
desperate  nor  exciting  tale  than  that  of  the  expedition 
of  Cortez  against  Mexico  in  15 19.  When  this  Spanish 
youth  first  came  to  the  New  World  he  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  secretary  of  the  governor  of  Cuba  who 
told  him  that  the  governor  would  doubtless  settle  a  good 
estate  upon  him.  The  confident  boy  answered,  **  But  I 
came  to  get  gold,  not  to  till  the  soil  like  a  peasant.*' 
Rumors  had  reached  Cuba  of  the  cities  and  people  who 
lived  just  west  of  them,  whose  empire  contained  all  the 
gold,  silver,  and  jewels  the  Spaniards  had  been  seeking. 
Cortez  was  chosen  to  lead  an  expedition  against  the 
land,  and  prepared  for  the  voyage  with  tireless  energy, 
only  to  find  as  the  time  to  embark  drew  near  that  the 
jealous  governor  had  decided  to  take  the  appointment 
from  him.  Cortez  hastened  his  preparations  and 
slipped  away  in  the  night. 

He  spent  some  months  sailing  westward  along  the 
coast  of  the  mainland,  and  then  with  eleven  ships  landed 
on  the  southern  shore.  Cortez  was  fearless,  a  leader 
who  admitted  no  possibility  of  defeat.  To  make  sure 
that  there  should  be  no  temptation  to  withdraw  from 
the  attempt,  all  but  the  best  one  of  the  ships  were 
beached  and  burned  at  the  place  of  landing,  which 
was  named  Vera  Cruz.  The  inhabitants  of  the  coun- 
try were  greatly  alarmed  at  the  approach  of  strangers. 


8  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

and  their  ruler,  Montezuma,  sent  presents  to  the  in- 
vaders with  the  request  that  they  turn  back.  Cortez 
moved  steadily  forward.  His  guns  and  horses,  which 
were  seen  then  for  the  first  time  by  the  Aztecs,  terri- 
fied them  and  they  were  ready  to  believe  Cortez  the 
war  god  of  their  legends.  With  remarkable  tact 
he  was  soon  in  control  of  the  country,  Montezuma 
trusting  him  absolutely.  Unfortunately  Cortez  had  to 
return  to  Vera  Cruz  for  a  time,  and  his  substitute  was 
so  cruel  that  the  people  rose  against  the  Spanish.  Cor- 
tez, on  his  return,  persuaded  Montezuma  to  try  to 
pacify  his  subjects.  They  were  stilled  for  a  few 
months  but  later  broke  out  more  fiercely  than  before 
against  the  white  men,  Montezuma  himself  being 
killed  in  this  uprising.  Cortez  immediately  made  the 
attempt  to  lead  his  men  out  of  the  capital,  Tenochtitlan, 
under  cover  of  the  darkness,  but  did  not  escape  the 
Aztecs  who  attacked  from  all  sides. 

The  bloody  struggle  of  that  night  has  few  parallels 
in  history.  It  has  been  called  ever  since  Noche  Triste, 
the  "  doleful  night."  Although  his  forces  had  been 
fearfully  reduced,  Cortez  did  not  despair,  but  by  a  most 
daring  attack  within  a  few  days  regained  control  of  the 
city,  adding  new  territory  to  the  empire  of  Spain. 

Discovery  of  the  Mississippi  River.  One  of  the  ad- 
venturers of  the  day  who  had  joined  an  expedition  to 
Peru  was  Hernando  de  Soto.  When  he  started  on  his 
journey  he  was  almost  penniless  but  he  returned  a  man 
of  great  wealth.  With  others,  de  Soto  begged  royal 
permission  to  attempt  again  the  colonization  of  Florida, 
for  he  believed  that  the  gold  and  silver  that  were  in 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  9 

other  parts  of  the  New  World  must  be  found  in  Florida 
as  well.  Having  obtained  the  consent  of  the  King,  he 
prepared  a  fleet  of  nine  vessels,  carrying  almost  a 
thousand  men,  as  well  as  horses,  swine,  and  blood- 
hounds. Men  of  birth  were  eager  to  share  the  adven- 
tures of  this  well  known  leader.  Troops  were  landed 
at  Tampa  Bay  and  the  ships  went  to  Havana  for  pro- 
visions. Like  most  of  the  Spaniards,  de  Soto  treated 
the  Indians  cruelly  and  was  hated  by  them  in  return. 
His  forces  moved  farther  and  farther  westward  in 
their  useless  search  for  gold,  finding  instead  "  fighting, 
fever,  and  famine."  Some  adventurers  had  reached 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi;  de  Soto  was  the  first  to 
explore  the  river  above  the  entrance  to  the  Gulf.  His 
party  crossed  it  and  wandered  many  miles  beyond,  only 
to  return  disappointed  to  its  banks.  The  leader,  dis- 
couraged by  misfortunes,  died  and  was  buried  in  the 
great  river  he  had  discovered.  The  few  survivors  of 
the  expedition  sailed  down  the  Mississippi  and  found 
protection  among  Spanish  settlers  in  Mexico. 

Revolt  of  the  Pueblos.  Some  of  these  adventurers, 
who  had  been  unsuccessful  in  their  journeyings,  excited 
the  Spaniards  in  Mexico  with  tales  of  the  "  seven 
cities  of  Cibola "  that  were  filled  with  treasures  of 
gold.  A  priest  first  went  north  and  found  the  cities, 
now  believed  to  have  been  the  villages  of  the  Zuni 
Indians  in  the  present  New  Mexico.  On  his  return  the 
Spaniards,  always  indefatigable  in  their  pursuit  of 
treasure,  planned  an  advance  on  the  country  under 
Coronado.  It  would  be  interesting  to  follow  the  in- 
trepid Spanish  explorers  through  the  region  now  form- 


lo         OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

ing  the  states  of  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and  Cali- 
fornia, but  neither  space  nor  the  purpose  of  this 
volume  will  permit.  The  history  of  exploration  has 
hardly  a  parallel  to  the  courage  and  tenacity  of  pur- 
pose that  characterized  this  invading  army.  Tourists 
today  speak  of  the  hardships  and  discomforts  of  a 
summer  trip  across  the  desert  in  a  Pullman,  but  these 
men  cheerfully  explored  those  desert  places,  carrying 
provisions  and  water,  suffering  hunger  and  thirst, 
heat  and  cold  without  impairment  of  discipline  or 
abatement  of  courage.  The  motives  were  mixed:  the 
adventurers  were  lured  by  lust  for  gold,  the  patriots 
were  animated  by  the  desire  to  add  to  the  glory  of  the 
Church  and  Crown,  the  priests  by  the  desire  to  con- 
vert the  natives  to  the  faith  of  the  Church. 

Everywhere  the  Indians  received  them  kindly,  but 
the  Spaniards  in  most  cases  grossly  abused  the  hospi- 
tality. A  few  examples  will  suffice  to  reveal  the  causes 
that  finally  led  to  the  revolt  of  the  Pueblos  and  a  most 
desperate  attempt  on  their  part  to  rid  their  land  of  the 
invaders. 

Coronado's  expedition  into  what  is  now  New  Mexico 
took  place  in  1540,  and,  coming  to  their  villages  at  the 
beginning  of  winter,  he  not  only  quartered  his  soldiers 
upon  the  natives  and  consumed  their  winter's  supplies, 
but  demanded  of  them  one  hundred  pieces  of  cotton  for 
his  men.  Without  giving  them  time  either  to  weave  the 
goods  or  to  collect  them  from  others,  he  sent  out  collec- 
tors with  a  company  of  soldiers  and  stripped  the  In- 
dians of  the  clothing  they  were  wearing. 

In  one  of  the  villages  the  camp-master,  Lope  de 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  ii 

Samaniego,  was  killed  by  an  Indian  arrow,  and  his 
death  was  avenged  by  hanging  every  Indian  belonging 
to  the  place. 

An  officer  insulted  the  wife  of  a  prominent  Indian, 
but  Coronado  gave  no  heed  to  the  complaint  of  the  hus- 
band. At  length  the  Indians  resolved  to  protect  them- 
selves, so,  barricading  their  pueblos,^  they  made  war 
upon  the  Spaniards.  The  battle  that  followed  was  a 
desperate  one,  but  finally  superior  arms  and  discipline 
prevailed,  and  the  Indians,  worn  by  the  long  de- 
fense and  smoked  out  of  their  houses,  came  out  and 
called  for  quarter.  Two  of  the  Spanish  officers  re- 
sponded by  crossing  their  arms,  the  Indian  sign  of 
inviolable  friendship.  On  seeing  this,  the  Indians 
threw  down  their  arms  and  surrendered.  Who  was  to 
blame  for  the  infamous  treachery  that  followed  is  not 
clear,  but  Coronado's  orders  were  that  none  should  be 
spared.  He  directed  that  two  hundred  stakes  be  driven 
into  the  ground  and  that  the  Indians  be  burned  alive. 
The  historian  says  that  no  protest  was  made  by  the  two 
officers  who  had  pledged  their  sacred  honor  for  the 
safety  of  the  captives. 

The  "  seven  cities  of  Cibola  "  were  never  found,  al- 
though Coronado  advanced  as  far  north  as  Kansas. 
When  de  Soto  and  his  followers  were  in  their  most 
desperate  straits,  Coronado  and  his  men  without  doubt 
were  but  a  short  distance  from  them.  Had  the  leader 
pushed  a  little  farther  east,  "  he  might  have  shaken 


1  The  Pueblo  Indians  were  named  from  their  peculiar  style 
of  communal  dwelling,  built  from  two  to  five  stories  high 
around  a  court,  and  easily  defended. 


12  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

hands  with  de  Soto  and  with  him  wept  tears  of  disap- 
pointment "  over  their  accumulation  of  misfortunes. 

The  Capture  of  Acoma.  On  a  lofty,  perpendicular 
rock,  having  on  the  summit  an  area  of  about  seventy 
acres  of  arable  land,  was  located  the  "  Sky  City  "  of 
Acoma  which  may  to-day  be  reached  by  driving  from 
Laguna.  A  half  century  after  the  expedition  of  Cor- 
onado  and  the  revolt  of  the  Indians,  Don  Juan  Oiiate 
visited  New  Mexico  to  make  another  attempt  to  estab- 
lish Spanish  authority.  Pueblo  after  pueblo  submitted, 
offering  no  resistance.  On  October  27,  1598,  he  camped 
at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs  on  which  Acoma  was  built. 
The  chief  men  came  down  and  invited  Onate  and  his 
followers  to  visit  them.  They  finally  consented,  and 
barely  escaped  annihilation  at  the  hands  of  the  In- 
dians. The  refusal  of  Ofiate  to  enter  the  Estufa,  or 
underground  Council  House,  was  all  that  saved  them. 
The  Indians  had  concealed  a  band  of  armed  warriors 
in  the  darkness,  prepared  to  avenge  the  sufferings  of 
their  countrymen  in  the  other  pueblos. 

In  November  of  the  same  year  the  *'  Sky  City  "  was 
again  visited  by  another  Spanish  force  under  Juan  de 
Zaldivar,  and  when  they  were  scattered  about  the  vil- 
lage the  Indians  suddenly  attacked  from  all  sides;  of 
the  whole  band  four  only  escaped  by  a  daring  leap  from 
the  cliff,  fortunately  striking  upon  great  sand  heaps 
below. 

In  January  of  the  following  year  a  brother  of  Zaldi- 
var made  an  attack  upon  Acoma  and  after  a  most 
bloody  battle  succeeded  in  capturing  the  place,  but  only 
after  nearly  all  the  defenders  were  killed.     Acoma  was 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  13 

later  repeopled  by  the  Indians,  but  they  never  were 
friendly  to  their  Spanish  conquerors. 

The  Settlement  of  Florida  by  Menendez.  After 
several  attempts  at  colonization  in  Florida  the  Span- 
iards appear  to  have  abandoned  the  effort.  In  1564 
Admiral  Coligny,  the  great  French  commander,  planned 
to  place  there  a  colony  of  French  Huguenots.  The  site 
selected  was  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  River. 
Here  the  colonists  built  a  fort  and  began  the  explora- 
tion of  the  interior  of  the  country.  Lawless  and  dis- 
contented adventurers  greatly  hampered  the  better  class 
in  their  efforts  to  develop  their  holdings,  and  it  was 
only  when  in  August,  1565,  Jean  Ribaut  came  with 
several  hundred  new  colonists,  among  them  many 
artisans,  that  the  attempt  at  colonization  appeared  to 
offer  prospects  of  permanency. 

Unfortunately  for  the  future  of  that  land,  the  Span- 
iards decided  to  make  another  attempt  to  colonize 
Florida.  News  of  the  French  expedition  reached  Spain 
while  Pedro  Menendez  de  Aviles  was  preparing  to  sail 
with  his  force  of  2,500  men.  He  landed  in  Florida  in 
September  of  that  same  year,  and  took  formal  posses- 
sion in  the  name  of  the  crown  of  Spain.  A  surprise 
night  attack  gave  them  possession  of  the  French  fort ; 
the  scattered  French  were  defeated  and  captured  in 
detail.  In  response  to  their  offer  of  surrender  if  their 
lives  would  be  spared,  Menendez  writes :  "  I  answered 
that  they  might  give  up  their  arms  and  place  themselves 
at  my  mercy  and  I  would  deal  with  them  as  the  Lord 
should  command  me."  He  declined  an  offer  of  50,000 
ducats  for  their  safety,  and  "  conscientiously  "  put  them 


14  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

to  the  knife  in  cold  blood.  One  account  relates  that  one 
detachment  was  captured  and  hanged  with  this  inscrip- 
tion above  them,  "  Not  as  Frenchmen,  but  as  Luther- 
ans." 

Two  years  later  an  expedition  of  Frenchmen  under 
Dominic  de  Gourges  recaptured  the  fort  taken  from  the 
French,  and  all  the  Spaniards  who  escaped  the  sword 
were  hanged  with  this  inscription  above  them,  **  Not  as 
Spaniards,  but  as  traitors,  robbers,  and  murderers." 
So  were  the  wrongs  of  the  French  avenged. 

Results  of  Spanish  Conquest 

Population.  Dr.  Bourne  quotes  from  the  report  of 
Juan  Lopez  de  Velasco  to  the  Council  of  the  Indies  in 
1576.  "Velasco  enumerates  in  the  New  World  some 
two  hundred  Spanish  cities  and  towns  with  some  min- 
ing settlements.  These  towns,  together  with  the  stock- 
farms  and  plantations,  contained  one  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  Spaniards  of  whom  about  four  thousand  were 
encomenderos, —  i,  e.  lords  of  Indian  serfs  —  the  rest 
settlers,  miners,  traders,  and  soldiers.  Of  Indians 
there  were  probably  about  eight  or  nine  thousand  vil- 
lages, inclusive  of  tribes  or  parts  of  tribes,  containing 
one  million  five  hundred  thousand  men  of  tribute-pay- 
ing age  (fifteen  to  sixty),  or  an  approximate  Indian 
population  of  about  five  million,  not  counting  the  con- 
siderable number  who  escaped  taxation,  either  because 
not  yet  reduced  to  village  life  or  because  they  hid  away. 
The  Indians  were  divided  into  three  thousand  seven 
hundred  repartimientos  belonging  to  the  king  or  to 
private  persons.     In  addition  there  were  about  forty 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  15 

thousand  Negro  slaves  and  a  large  number  of  mestizos 
and  mulattoes. 

"  The  great  mass  of  the  Indians  were  nominally 
Christians  and  were  living  as  civilized  men,  and  their 
numbers  were  increasing." 

If  the  figures  of  Velasco  are  correct,  one  cannot  help 
wondering  what  became  of  that  great  Indian  population. 
Did  they  become  decimated  by  slavery  and  abuse  as  did 
the  Indian  population  of  Porto  Rico  ? 

Mixture  of  Races.  The  Indians  of  Latin  America, 
whose  blood,  mingled  with  that  of  their  Spanish  con- 
querors, flows  in  the  veins  of  the  great  mass  of  the 
population  south  of  the  Rio  Grande,  had  attained  before 
the  coming  of  the  white  man  a  higher  degree  of  civili- 
zation than  had  the  Indians  of  North  America.  They 
were  proficient  in  agriculture,  while  their  knowledge  of 
astronomy  was  astonishing.  They  had  never  learned  to 
use  an  alphabet,  but  had  invented  a  picture  writing. 
They  cast  gold  and  silver  vases.  Some  of  the  treasures 
sent  to  Spain  by  the  conquerors  are  now  in  the  Amer- 
ican Room  of  the  British  Museum. 

To-day  some  of  the  proudest  statesmen  of  Mexico 
boast  of  the  purity  of  their  Indian  blood.  Benito 
Juarez,  the  one  reverenced  above  all  others  as  liberator 
because  his  indomitable  courage  and  masterful  leader- 
ship thwarted  the  attempt  of  Austria,  France,  and  Rome 
to  establish  a  monarchy  on  the  ruins  of  the  Republic, 
was  of  pure  Indian  blood,  and  this  same  blood  predomi- 
nated in  Porfirio  Diaz,  Mexico's  most  brilliant  presi- 
dent. 

The  Spanish  adventurers  freely  intermarried  with  the 


i6  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

natives,  and,  whatever  else  may  have  been  lacking  in 
their  education,  wives  and  children  were  taught  to  fol- 
low the  religion  of  their  husbands  and  fathers,  and  also 
to  accept  unquestioningly  whatever  the  priests  deemed 
essential  to  their  eternal  welfare.  Old  Spain,  with  all 
that  inhered  in  the  old  feudalism  that  was  disappearing 
from  Europe,  was  thus  bodily  transplanted  to  America. 
The  mingling  of  the  Spanish  and  Indian  bloods  in  a  race 
that  was  molded  in  the  fanatical  monastery  schools  is 
sufficient  explanation  of  the  medieval  character  of 
the  population  of  the  Southwest  at  the  time  of  the 
incorporation  of  this  territory  into  the  union  of  the 
States. 

Education  in  Latin  America.  Educational  facilities 
were  provided  for  the  wealthy.  The  first  printing 
press  in  America  was  set  up  in  Mexico  City  by  Bishop 
Zumarraga  about  1535.  The  oldest  books  in  America 
came  from  that  press.  Books  published  in  that  century 
are  still  in  existence,  and  are  a  credit  to  the  men  who 
wrought  the  evidence  of  their  skill  into  these  fine  and 
enduring  specimens  of  art. 

A  great  industrial  school  was  founded  in  Mexico  City 
near  the  middle  of  the  i6th  century  by  Pedro  de  Gante, 
a  blood  relative  of  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  The  Uni- 
versity of  Mexico  opened  its  doors  in  1553,  and  had  an 
enrollment  of  more  than  one  thousand  students ;  among 
the  instructors  were  found  some  of  the  finest  educators 
of  Europe,  many  of  them  graduates  of  the  University 
of  Salamanca,  then  at  the  highest  period  of  its  glory. 
Among  the  branches  taught  in  the  industrial  school 
were  Latin,  music,  painting,  and  the  manufacture  of 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  17 

crosses  —  then  so  much  in  demand  —  standards  and 
other  articles  for  ecclesiastical  use. 

The  students  were  taught  wood  carving,  carpentry, 
engraving,  and  stone-cutting.  In  the  ruins  of  many  of 
the  old  churches  are  found  excellent  specimens  of  the 
workmanship  of  these  first  pupils  of  the  Spanish 
Pioneers.  Nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century  before 
the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  on  Plymouth  Rock, 
Mexico  City  was  the  centre  of  culture  and  industry. 
Massively  constructed  and  magnificently  adorned 
churches  were  built  in  the  most  prominent  places  in  all 
the  more  important  cities  and  villages,  while  public 
works  received  far  more  attention  than  they  did  in  the 
two  succeeding  centuries.  Great  aqueducts  were  built 
to  convey  water  from  the  mountains  to  the  fertile  val- 
leys, fine  roads  were  constructed  and  mines  were 
opened,  employing  thousands  of  workers  and  yielding 
millions  of  gold,  silver  and  copper,  while  substantial 
and  costly  public  buildings  were  erected  in  every  city. 
The  Spaniards  of  that  day  utilized  to  the  limit  the  ser- 
vices of  the  natives,  and  could  those  old  ruins  be  given 
voice,  what  stories  they  might  tell  of  a  peaceful  people 
being  crushed  to  satisfy  the  lust  for  gold  and  power  of 
a  stronger  race! 

Indian  Opposition.  The  Indians  did  not  submit 
without  heroic  attempts  to  oust  the  invaders,  who  had 
become  their  masters.  Charles  F.  Lummis  declares, 
in  "  Spanish  Pioneers,'*  that  the  stories  of  cruelties 
practiced  upon  the  Indians  by  the  Spaniards  are 
"  wholly  untrue,"  and  he  pictures  the  Spanish  conquest 
as  animated  by  the  most  sincere  desire  for  the  material 


i8  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

and  moral  uplift  of  the  natives  in  the  New  World. 
Halos  are  given  to  Cortez  and  Pizarro,  and  Fray  Val- 
verde,  to  whom  historians  attribute  the  doubtful  credit 
of  having  given  the  signal  for  the  massacre  of  Atahual- 
pa's  force,  is  called  "  Good  Fray  Valverde."  Ata- 
hualpa's  death  was,  according  to  Lummis,  the  necessary 
result  of  his  own  **  treachery  "  toward  the  Spaniards. 
These  apologies  will  not  obscure  the  fact  that,  conceding 
the  energy,  the  enthusiasm,  the  zeal,  and  the  consecra- 
tion of  the  missionaries,  there  w^as  something  cruel, 
something  radically  wrong  with  the  whole  Spanish  sys- 
tem of  colonization,  some  inherent  principle  because  of 
which  God  did  not  suffer  it  to  dominate  the  whole  New 
World.  Its  moving  spirit  was  that  which  overran  Hol- 
land, that  of  Sevilla  and  Valladolid,  the  spirit  that  de- 
stroyed or  drove  out  more  than  twelve  millions  of  the 
best  blood  of  Spain,  "  sacrificing,"  as  one  Spanish  his- 
torian says,  "  her  material  interests  to  conserve  the 
spiritual." 

Why  Spanish  Efforts  in  the  New  World  Failed 

Advantages  of  Spain,  Spain  had  greater  advantages 
in  her  attempts  to  control  the  New  World  than  any 
other  nation  that  came  to  our  shores.  She  was  mistress 
of  the  seas ;  she  w^as  the  first  country  to  reach  the 
western  hemisphere;  she  had  great  wealth  and  daring 
men;  she  chose  the  southern  lands  where  the  Indians 
were  partly  civilized  and  not  as  able  to  oppose  the  white 
man  as  were  the  northern  tribes,  and  where  the  riches 
of  the  soil  were  hidden.  In  spite  of  all  these  advan- 
tages Spain  failed. 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  19 

Reasons  for  Spanish  Failure.  New  Spain,  as  it  was 
known  in  the  sixteenth  century,  included  nearly  all  the 
country  around  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  reached  west- 
ward as  far  as  California.  Explorers  penetrated  to  the 
north  as  far  as  Kansas  and  on  the  Atlantic  coast  even 
to  Virginia.  The  Spaniards  founded  the  two  oldest 
towns  in  the  United  States,  St.  Augustine  and  Santa 
Fe.  Spain  possessed  splendid  material  upon  which  to 
build  a  strong  and  progressive  civilization.  That  mix- 
ture of  races  that  gives  the  energy  of  a  Cortez  and  the 
sturdy,  incorruptible  patriotism  of  a  Benito  Juarez,  is 
capable  of  accomplishing  anything  that  the  Creator  may 
ask  of  His  creatures.  Yet  today  Spain  holds  none  of 
this  great  territory  that  was  hers  by  right  of  discovery 
and  conquest.  In  most  cases  the  territory  claimed  by 
Spaniards  overlapped  that  claimed  by  other  countries. 
The  other  countries  held  the  disputed  territory  through 
superior  strength.  The  defeat  of  the  Spanish  Armada 
made  it  impossible  for  Spain  to  attempt  to  control  the 
coast.  Spain  had  no  great  desire  to  colonize.  Like 
young  Cortez,  her  men  were  unwilling  to  till  the  soil, 
desiring  to  find  gold  without  labor  and  to  enjoy  the 
wealth  they  gained  without  exertion.  The  aristocracy 
of  Spain  did  not  look  with  any  more  favor  upon  the 
development  of  educational  institutions  in  her  colonies 
in  America  than  did  England  upon  the  development  of 
industries  in  her  colonies  prior  to  the  Revolution.  The 
colonies  of  Spain  were  for  exploitation,  not  for  develop- 
ment. The  two  great  motives  for  progress,  love  and 
hope,  had  no  place  in  the  system  imposed  by  the  Span- 
iards,   and   gross    darkness    and    hopeless    stagnation 


20         OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

settled  upon  the  people.     Spain  held  her  colonies  in  an 
iron  grip,  but  never  helped  them  to  a  higher  life. 

The  Words  of  a  Spanish  Statesman.  In  1871  Emilio 
Castelar,  Spain's  greatest  statesman,  advocating  in  the 
Cortes  a  more  liberal  and  progressive  policy  in  the 
colonies  of  Spain,  said :  "  When  from  our  narrow- 
visible  horizon  we  turn  our  eyes  to  the  whole  world, 
we  see  that  the  continents  are  ruled  by  universal  and 
unchangeable  laws;  that  Asia  is  the  land  of  the  im- 
movable past,  the  land  of  empires,  of  theocracies,  of 
castes ;  Europe  is  the  land  of  the  volcanic  present,  the 
land  of  combat  between  ancient  powers  and  new  ideas ; 
while  America,  and  above  all,  Saxon  America,  with  its 
immense  virgin  territories,  with  its  rising  republics, 
with  its  equilibrium  between  stability  and  progress,  with 
its  harmony  between  liberty  and  democracy,  is  the  con- 
tinent of  the  future,  the  immense  blackboard  stretched 
by  God  between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific,  upon 
which  the  human  race  may  write,  test  and  solve  all 
social  problems.  The  closing  years  of  the  19th  cen- 
tury upon  which  we  have  entered  may  be  as  grave  and 
momentous  as  the  closing  years  of  the  i8th  century 
when  the  French  Revolution  broke  out.  It  rests  with 
Europe  to  decide  whether  she  shall  follow  Asia,  erecting 
upon  her  soil  the  old  altars,  and  upon  the  old  altars  the 
old  idols,  with  her  idols  the  immovable  theocracies, 
with  her  theocracies  despotic  empires ;  or  whether  she 
will  go  by  the  way  of  labor,  by  liberty,  by  right  to  co- 
operate with  America  in  the  work  of  universal  civiliza- 
tion. And  a  most  important  factor  in  this  civilization 
may  be  our  Spain  with  her  glorious  past.'*     Castelar 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  21 

did  not  hesitate  to  charge  Spain's  decadence  to  the 
dominant  church.  He  said :  "  We  know  that  a  demo- 
cratic state  cannot  bear  in  its  bosom  a  privileged  church ; 
democracy  was  born  under  the  curse  of  the  church." 

Could  Spain  at  that  time  have  heard  and  heeded 
these  stirring  words,  the  story  of  the  two  Americas 
might  have  been  far  different. 

Comparison  of  Spanish  and  English  Colonisation. 
Edward  Gaylord  Bourne,  in  "  Spain  in  America,"  says : 
"If  we  compare  what  the  Spaniards  accomplished  in 
the  i6th  century  with  the  work  of  the  English  in  the 
17th,  we  shall  appreciate  that,  although  different  in 
character  and  less  in  accord  with  our  predilections  and 
prejudices,  it  was,  nevertheless,  one  of  the  greatest 
achievements  of  human  history.  They  undertook  the 
magnificent  if  impossible  task  of  lifting  a  whole  race 
numbering  millions  into  the  sphere  of  European 
thought,  life  and  religion.  Yet  this  thought  and  life 
and  religion  were  so  different  in  many  respects  from 
the  ideals  which  now  appeal  to  the  descendants  of  the 
17th  century  English  Protestant  that  we  instinctively 
appraise  the  attempt  of  the  Spaniards  both  by  modern 
standards  and  by  the  measure  of  their  failure,  rather 
than  by  the  degree  of  their  success." 

The  light  of  the  sixteenth  century  was  not  that  of 
the  twentieth,  nor  is  the  light  of  the  twentieth  century 
that  in  which  our  own  civilization  will  finally  be 
judged.  When  we  compare  the  work  of  the  Spaniards 
with  that  of  the  English  as  colonists  in  the  New  World, 
the  more  amazing  appears  the  general  assumption  as 
to  the  assured  superiority  of  the  Saxon,  and  the  oft 


ii 


22  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

repeated  assertion  that  the  attempt  to  bring  the  present 
day  descendants  of  Indians  and  Spanish  adventurers 
up  to  the  level  of  the  Saxon  is  doomed  to  fail. 

Advantages  of  Saxon  Colonization.  President  Gates, 
of  Amherst  College,  says:  "At  the  time  when  the 
colonies  that  formed  the  vital  nucleus  of  our  American 
life  came  from  the  mother  land,  England  overflowed 
with  Puritan  zeal,  and  Puritan  godliness,  and  virility  of 
soul.  England's  Hfe  had  been  deepened  and  made 
spiritual.  It  was  no  longer  marked  by  the  brilliant  and 
seething  effervescence  of  the  Elizabethan  age.  Even 
before  that  time  the  Wars  of  the  Roses  had  broken  up 
that  comfortable,  materialistic  tendency  to  '  settle  on 
the  lees '  that  has  proved  so  deadly  to  so  many  nations. 
Take  your  place  in  one  of  the  great  cathedral  churches 
of  England,  and  as  the  service  is  intoned  and  the  words 
fall  on  your  ear,  '  O  Lord,  send  peace  in  our  day,'  let 
the  thought  make  real  before  your  eyes  the  emotions 
that  led  to  that  petition.  See  the  faces  of  the  worn  old 
warriors  and  of  the  long-suffering  women  whose 
families  had  been  rent  asunder  by  the  Wars  of  the 
Roses,  and  by  the  Civil  War;  men  and  women  whose 
hearts  went  out  to  God  in  an  agony  of  petition  in  these 
words,  as  they  longed  to  establish  something  of  peace 
and  family  life  again  in  homesteads  that  had  been  deso- 
lated by  these  long  struggles.  There  had  come  to  Eng- 
land out  of  this  deep  suffering  a  great  moral  renovation. 
The  Lollards  had  kindled  a  light.  Luther  had  spoken 
more  clearly  and  emphatically.  The  wonderful  intel- 
lectuality of  Elizabeth's  reign  had  given  a  new  con- 
sciousness of  power  and  a  fresh  sense  of  national  unity 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  23 

to  the  English  people.  The  struggle  between  Papist 
and  Protestant  had  forced  Englishmen  to  think  out  for 
themselves  theories  of  government  and  of  personal 
religion  and  personal  responsibility.  Then  came  the 
insincerity,  the  wilful  yet  feeble  despotism  of  the 
Stuarts.  It  clashed  with  the  forged  steel  of  Prot- 
estantism, and  was  broken  against  the  Ironsides, — 
Cromwell's  Christian  heroes.  It  was  at  such  a  time 
from  the  best  life  of  England  the  scion  was  transplanted 
to  America.  The  very  best  of  English  life  was  taken. 
In  the  history  of  our  dear  motherland,  this  was  pre- 
eminently the  time  for  her  to  become  the  noble  parent 
of  a  still  nobler  offspring.  There  was  iron  in  the 
blood.  There  was  faith  in  the  life.  Do  you  remember 
how  near  Cromwell  came  to  embarking  as  an  emigrant 
to  America?  When  next  you  visit  our  oldest  univer- 
sity at  Cambridge,  go  into  the  library  of  Harvard,  gaze 
at  the  death-mask  of  Cromwell's  face, —  a  part  of  the 
noble  gift  of  Carlyle  to  his  admirers  among  the  young 
men  of  America, —  and  as  you  note  the  massive  power 
of  those  features  and  recall  the  work  which  that  man's 
iron  will  accomplished  for  England  and  for  the  liber- 
ties of  the  world,  remember  that  it  was  men  of  his  con- 
victions and  of  his  training  who  came  swarming  to 
America,  at  a  time  when  he  so  nearly  accompanied 
them.  They  became  the  fathers  of  our  national  life. 
They  impressed  upon  our  institutions  and  our  ideals 
the  life  that  made  England  under  Cromwell  and  Mil- 
ton the  foremost  nation  of  the  world." 

Other  Elements  Contributed  to  Strengthen  America. 
Other  strengthening  elements  entered  into  the  making 


24         OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

of  the  nation.  Holland  had  fought  the  world's  battle 
against  the  legions  of  all-conquering  Spain,  and  had 
won  her  freedom  of  worship  and  conscience.  With  the 
band  of  Englishmen,  exiled  for  conscience'  sake,  who 
sought  a  place  to  build  their  altars  to  God,  there  went  a 
mingling  of  sturdy  Dutch  and  fire-tried  Huguenot,  all 
animated  by  one  purpose,  and  these  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  a  free  government  in  that  portion  of  the  new 
world  now  known  as  Saxon  America.  Bowing  the 
knee  only  to  God,  basing  their  laws  upon  His  revealed 
Word,  believing  in  the  equality  and  brotherhood  of  man, 
these  men  and  women  were  fitted  in  the  trial  by  fire  to 
give  to  the  world  a  high  type  of  human  government 
Their  ideals  are  the  ideals  of  Christian  America;  and 
a  continued  striving  toward  these  ideals  is  sufficient 
explanation  of  the  growth  and  greatness  of  Saxon 
America.  To  conserve  these  ideals  is  the  work  of  the 
Church  of  the  living  Christ. 

The  Nineteenth  Century 

The  story  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries 
of  Spanish  occupation  of  the  Mexican  territory  is  one 
of  oppression  and  tyranny  endured  through  necessity 
by  the  conquered  natives.  Not  until  the  nineteenth 
century  did  they  make  any  effort  to  release  themselves 
from  this  bondage.  One  rebellion  after  another  was 
suppressed  until  that  of  1821,  when  the  Mexicans  were 
able  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  Spain.  Their  leader  was 
Yturbide,  who  became  Emperor  for  a  few  months  and 
was  then  sentenced  to  be  shot.  Already  the  United 
States  had  purchased  Florida  from  Spain,  so  after  the 


SPAIN  IN  AMERICA  25 

Treaty  of  Cordova  Spain  could  claim  no  territory  on 
the  mainland.  Meantime  the  present  state  of  Texas 
had  been  settled  by  colonists  from  Mexico,  whose  num- 
bers were  greatly  increased  by  settlers  from  the  United 
States.  These  opposed  the  Spanish  control  of  Mexico 
and,  after  an  insurrection  in  1836,  made  Texas  an  in- 
dependent republic,  which  it  remained  until  it  was  an- 
nexed to  the  United  States  in  1845.  The  Mexican 
War  which  lasted  a  year  and  a  half  soon  followed,  and 
at  its  close  the  tract  now  known  as  New  Mexico, 
Arizona,  and  California  was  ceded  by  Mexico  to  the 
United  States. 

In  these  few  years  were  added  to  our  country  all  the 
regions  of  the  mainland  occupied  by  Spanish  speaking 
people  for  whom  our  work  of  Home  Missions  is  now 
carried  on.  Hereafter  the  use  of  the  term  Mexican 
applies  to  those  people  who  are  descendants  of  the 
union  of  the  Spanish  and  Indian  races. 


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26 


II 

FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS 


"More  than  aU  the  pageants  of  Castilian  manners,  more 
than  all  the  sheen  of  Montezuma's  gilded  courtliness  is  the 
grace  and  glory  of  a  Christlike  man.  What  the  Mexican  was 
and  IS  must  sink  and  wane  while  the  Mexican  to  be  rises  the 
new  Christ's  man," 

"Where  restless,  turbulent  peoples  toss 
Under  the  fire  of  the  Southern  Cross, 
A  light  gleams  down  the  mountain  track 
As  the  gates  of  Panama  swing  back. 

'On  the  South  three  gates/    Swing  wide,  swing  wide  — 
A  welcome  here  for  the  human  tide  1 " 

Rev.  Chabues  L.  Thompson,  D.D. 


II 

FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS 

Missionary  Work  of  the  Spaniards 

Religious  Motive.  It  is  hard  to  reconcile  the  treat- 
ment the  Spaniards  gave  the  natives  of  America  with 
the  deep  religious  purpose  that  so  evidently  actuated 
some  of  the  explorers.  The  names  they  gave  the 
islands,  rivers,  and  lands  they  discovered  show  how 
great  was  their  desire  to  honor  the  religion  they  pro- 
fessed. The  first  land  Columbus  stepped  upon  was 
named  San  Salvador ;  another  island  he  called  Trinidad, 
in  honor  of  the  Holy  Trinity;  the  Mississippi  was 
known  to  the  Spaniards  as  the  Rio  del  Espirito  Santo, 
the  River  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  while  Vera  Cruz  means 
the  True  Cross ;  the  Virgin  and  the  saints  of  the  Church 
were  all  remembered.  When  Columbus  asked  aid  of 
the  King  and  Queen  of  Spain  he  claimed  he  had  been 
influenced  by  reading  Marco  Polo's  work  on  China, 
and  confessed  that  his  main  purpose  in  attempting  the 
voyage  was  his  desire  to  reach  China  in  order  to  con- 
vert the  Great  Khan,  or  Emperor,  as  well  as  his  sub- 
jects, to  Christianity.  Still,  he  stated  if  they  refused  to 
accept  the  religion  he  offered,  any  Christian  king  was 
at  liberty  to  enslave  them  and  take  their  possessions. 

When  land  was  reached  the  Admiral  appeared  in  his 
richest  clothes,  and  approached  the  shore  bearing  the 

29 


30  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

royal  flame  colored  standard  of  Spain ;  there  he  and  his 
men  knelt  down,  kissing  the  ground  and  giving  thanks 
to  God  for  bringing  them  safely  to  land.  To  the  end  of 
his  life,  it  is  said,  Columbus  believed  he  had  been  ap- 
pointed by  God  to  carry  Christianity  to  the  people  of 
the  far  east,  and  his  purpose  in  taking  natives  to  Spain 
was  to  Christianize  them  as  well  as  to  show  them  to  the 
rulers.  Even  the  audacious  Cortez  claimed  that  his 
purpose  in  visiting  the  country  of  Montezuma  was  in- 
spired by  his  noble  desire  to  make  that  ruler  a  believer. 
Montezuma  refused  to  accept  the  religion  so  graciously 
offered,  and  those  of  his  followers  who  survived  the 
Spanish  attacks  must  have  doubted  the  sincerity  of 
Cortez. 

Attitude  of  the  Natives.  The  Indians  of  the  south- 
land who  were  conquered  by  the  white  man  were  partly 
civilized  tribes.  They  worshipped  the  sun  with  great 
ceremony  and  some  of  these  tribes  had  temples  and 
numbers  of  priests.  The  approach  of  the  white  man 
appeared  to  inspire  them  with  awe,  for  they  at  first 
looked  upon  him  as  a  god.  De  Soto  with  all  his  cruelty 
succeeded  in  deceiving  the  natives  into  believing  he  was 
one  of  the  immortals.  It  is  told  of  him  that  at  one  time 
he  erected  two  crosses,  and  the  Indians,  thinking  he  was 
about  to  perform  a  miracle,  brought  two  blind  men  for 
him  to  heal.  De  Soto  did  not  admit  he  was  unable  to 
make  the  blind  see,  but  instead  of  attempting  the  mir- 
acle delivered  a  talk  on  the  mystery  of  the  Atonement, 
which  could  hardly  have  been  appreciated  by  his  audi- 
ence. The  ceremonies  attending  disembarking  were 
always  very  impressive  to  the  simple  natives;  there 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  31 

were  the  explorers  in  their  resplendent  robes,  the  priest 
bearing  a  crucifix  while  chanting  a  Te  Deum;  there 
was  the  prayer  of  thanksgiving  and  the  kissing  of  the 
crucifix. 

The  Spanish  explorers  not  only  over-ran  what  is 
Mexico  proper  today  but  pushed  northward,  eastward, 
and  westward,  even  penetrating  to  Colorado  on  the 
north  and  to  Virginia  to  the  northeast.  They  were 
accompanied  by  zealous  priests  whose  passion  it  was  to 
convert  the  natives  to  the  true  faith.  That  the  converts 
had  not  even  the  remotest  idea  of  the  true  Christian 
doctrine  seemed  to  matter  little,  so  long  as  they  con- 
formed to  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Church.  A 
Mexican  historian  says  they  looked  upon  conversion  to 
the  doctrines  and  forms  of  worship  of  their  conquerors 
as  a  necessary  consequence  of  their  defeat  in  battle. 
The  acceptance  of  the  religion  of  their  conquerors  was 
as  much  an  acknowledgment  of  their  subjection  and 
vassalage  as  the  queue  was  the  symbol  of  the  Chinese 
subjection  to  the  Manchu  dynasty. 

While  the  old  religions  were  nominally  destroyed, 
many  of  the  gods  appeared  under  Christian  names,  and 
little  change  was  really  required  of  the  converts.  The 
same  Mexican  writer  says,  "  The  conquered  Americans, 
v/ho  feared  everything,  and  rightly,  from  the  hardened 
conquerors,  came  to  the  conclusion  that  conversion  and 
baptism  were  the  most  powerful  shield  behind  which 
to  protect  themselves  from  further  cruelties.  They, 
therefore,  entered  towns  en  masse  asking  the  missionary 
to  baptize  them,  and  in  search  of  the  precious  guar- 
antees of  liberty  and  life.'* 


32  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

Nor  was  this  the  only  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon 
them.  Philip  the  Second  decreed  that  only  Christian 
children  could  inherit  the  property  of  their  parents. 
As  the  result  of  this  command  an  Indian  chief  would 
insist  on  the  conversion  of  the  whole  tribe.  The  re- 
semblance between  the  old  and  the  new  religion  made 
the  transition  comparatively  easy;  and  in  the  distorted 
form  of  Christianity  that  has  prevailed  since  that  day 
among  the  Latins  in  our  land  we  see  the  shadow  of  old 
pagan  Mexico. 

Destructive  Policy  of  the  Clergy.  The  destructive 
policy  of  the  Romish  clergy  has  deprived  the  student  of 
the  present  day  of  the  key  to  the  history  of  the  people 
who  left,  in  the  ruins  of  their  cities  and  temples,  evi- 
dences of  a  higher  civilization  than  has  been  found  in 
any  other  part  of  the  New  World.  The  Maya  ruins 
and  inscriptions  are  the  admiration  and  despair  of  the 
modern  archaeologist.  Edward  H.  Thompson,  writing 
in  the  Geographical  Magazine  of  "The  Home  of  a 
Forgotten  Race,"  says  of  certain  ruins  that  appear  to 
have  been  libraries :  "  Who  knows  but  their  contents 
formed  part  of  that  funeral  pyre  of  ancient  Maya 
literature  made  by  the  zealot  Bishop  de  Landa  on  the 
Mani  common. 

"  De  Landa,  seeing  on  these  old  rolls  of  deerskin  and 
volumes  of  Maguey  paper  sigiis  he  could  not  read  and 
symbols  he  could  no^  understand,  concluded  they  were 
cabalistic  signs  of  a  diabolical  nature,  and  caused  them, 
with  many  other  objects  of  inestimable  value  to  science, 
to  be  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  public  square  of  Mani. 

"  At  that  time,  the  old  chronicler  tells  us,  there  were 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  33 

destroyed  five  thousand  idols  of  distinct  forms  and 
sizes,  thirteen  altar  stones,  twenty-two  stones,  carved 
and  of  small  sizes,  twenty-seven  rolls  of  ancient  hiero- 
glyphics on  deer  skins,  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
vases  of  all  sizes  and  patterns,  and  many  other  unre- 
corded objects. 

"An  ancient  Spanish  chronicler  states  naively  that 
the  natives  who  witnessed  the  destruction  by  fire  were 
much  affected  and  made  a  great  outcry  of  woe.  Is  it 
to  be  wondered  that  they  made  a  great  outcry  of  woe  ? 
They  saw  not  only  the  sacred  things  calcining  in  the 
fervent  heat,  but  also  that  written  lore,  accumulated 
knowledge  of  their  race,  going  up  in  smoke  and  red, 
cinders.  Naturally  the  thinking  ones  among  them 
made  a  great  outcry." 

The  destruction  continued.  The  children  educated 
in  the  monastery  schools  were  led  out  to  demolish  the 
old  Aztec  temples.  Sahagun,  a  Franciscan  monk,  came 
to  Mexico  in  1529  and  lal^ored  zealously  among  the 
Indians  for  many  years.  He  prepared  an  exhaustive 
history  of  New  Spain  and  has  given  much  valuable  in- 
formation as  to  the  methods  pursued  in  giving  to  Mexi- 
can civilization  the  impress  that  characterizes  it  today. 
The  children  were  taught  to  be  iconoclasts,  and  the 
spirit  of  the  race  descended  from  this  mixture  of 
Spanish  and  Indian  bloods  has  ever  been  destructive 
rather  than  constructive. 

Sahagun  says  of  the  education  of  the  children: 
"  We  took  the  children  of  the  caciques  into  our  schools ; 
we  taught  them  to  read  and  write  and  chant.  The 
children  of  the  poorer  natives  were  brought  into  the 


34  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

court-yard  and  there  instructed  in  the  Christian  faith. 
After  our  teaching,  one  or  two  of  the  brethren  took  the 
children  to  some  neighboring  teccalli,  and  by  working  at 
it  for  a  few  days,  they  leveled  it  to  the  ground.  In 
this  way  they  demolished  in  a  short  time,  all  the  Aztec 
temples,  great  and  small,  so  that  not  a  vestige  of  them 
remained." 

On  one  occasion,  the  mission  children  in  Tlascala 
stoned  to  death  a  priest  of  the  old  religion  who  sought 
to  win  the  people  back  to  the  ancient  faith. 

Consecrated  Missionaries.  It  would  be  unfair  to 
underrate  the  sincerity,  the  piety,  the  zeal,  the  purity  of 
purpose  of  the  Franciscan  missionaries  of  that  day. 
We  must  remember  that  it  was  the  time  of  Philip  the 
Second,  the  time  of  the  murderous  Alva,  the  time  of  the 
Inquisition,  an  age  of  brutal  cruelty  in  war  and  a  worse 
cruelty  in  church.  These  monks  not  only  accompanied 
all  the  military  expeditions,  to  look  after  the  welfare  of 
the  natives,  but  often  alone  they  penetrated  the  wilds 
wherever  souls  were  to  be  found,  exiling  themselves 
from  civilization  and  all  congenial  companionship,  suf- 
fering hunger,  thirst,  cold,  persecution,  and  death,  with 
no  thought  of  reward  except  the  approval  of  the  Mas- 
ter whom  they  served  with  all  the  fiery  and  consecrated 
zeal  of  the  old  crusaders.  Hard  indeed  would  be  the 
heart  that  would  not  be  deeply  moved  at  the  recital  of 
their  consecration,  their  heroism  and  suffering.  Often 
they  protected  the  Indians  against  the  cruelty  and  lust 
of  the  adventurers  who  accompanied  the  expeditions  of 
conquest.  The  fact  that  their  own  conduct  would  not, 
at  times,  meet  the  test  of  modern  Christian  civilization, 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  35 

must  be  viewed  in  the  light  of  their  age;  they  were 
seeing  as  through  a  glass,  darkly.  When  the  adven- 
turers had  satisfied  their  desire  for  exploration  they 
went  back  to  the  settlements.  The  missionaries  had 
not  accompanied  them  for  the  sake  of  adventure ;  theirs 
was  a  desire  to  serve  the  people,  to  bring  them  to 
the  Cross,  and  again  and  again  the  priest  stayed  with 
the  savages  when  his  companions  returned  to  civiliza- 
tion. Through  their  efforts  many  missions  were  estab- 
lished on  Spanish  territory,  but  oftentimes  the  mission- 
ary was  foully  murdered  by  the  very  ones  he  hoped  to 
save. 

The  majestic  ruins  of  great  mission  churches  that 
are.  today  found  where  once  there  were  large  Indian 
populations  attest  the  zeal,  the  energy,  the  consecration 
of  these  pioneers  of  the  Cross. 

Second  Capture  of  Acoma.  The  second  capture  of 
Acoma  was  in  1629  by  the  good  Fray  Juan  Ramirez. 
This  apostle  to  the  Indians  determined  to  establish  a 
mission  upon  the  lofty  rock,  and  alone  left  Santa  Fe, 
refusing  an  escort  of  soldiers,  bearing  no  weapon  but 
love  in  his  heart  and  the  crucifix  in  his  hand.  Footsore 
and  weary  he  came  to  the  foot  of  the  rock,  but  as  he 
began  the  ascent  of  the  narrow  stairway  the  Indians 
poured  down  upon  him  such  a  flight  of  arrows  that  he 
was  compelled  to  take  refuge  under  the  overhanging 
cliff.  Just  then  a  little  girl  toppled  and  fell  from  the 
summit,  but  was  caught  by  a  sand-covered  ledge  out  of 
sight  of  the  people  above,  who  supposed  she  had  fallen 
to  her  death.  The  Fray  quickly  gathered  the  child  in 
his  arms  and  stepping  boldly  into  the  path  once  more, 


2,6         OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

carried  her  safely  to  the  top  of  the  rock.  The  Indians, 
beheving  a  miracle  had  been  wrought,  received  him 
reverently,  as  one  coming  from  the  gods.  For  more 
than  twenty  years  he  dwelt  among  them,  teaching  them 
to  read  and  write  and  instructing  them  in  the  doctrines 
of  the  Church.  He  was  greatly  beloved  by  them,  and 
his  name  with  that  of  Las  Casas  should  be  written  in 
letters  of  gold  over  against  the  black  record  of  so  many 
of  the  adventurers.  The  Franciscans  won,  in  a  most 
remarkable  manner,  the  love  and  confidence  of  the 
Indians,  and  their  consecration  and  benevolent  interest 
in  the  victims  of  Spanish  exploitation  is  the  one  bright 
page  in  the  history  of  Spanish  conquest  in  America. 
One  of  the  most  interesting,  most  majestic  and  massive 
of  the  old  churches  stands  on  the  rock  of  Acoma,  recall- 
ing the  conquest  of  peace  by  Fray  Ramirez. 

Later  the  Franciscan  monks  were  replaced  by  Jesuits 
and  the  Indians  fell  upon  evil  days.  The  service  that 
they  had  rendered  in  the  spirit  of  hospitality  became 
enforced,  and  then  was  laid  the  foundation  of  that  sys- 
tem of  peonage  that  has  been  the  curse  of  Mexico,  and 
has  not  wholly  disappeared  from  the  United  States. 

The  Inquisition.  The  Inquisition  was  at  work  dur- 
ing this  time  in  Mexico,  and  the  awful  sufferings,  the 
processions  of  heretics,  the  contumely  heaped  upon 
them  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the  Indians,  and 
from  generation  to  generation  there  was  transmitted  a 
horror  of  heresy  or  rebellion  against  the  Holy  Catholic 
Church.  This  will  explain,  in  great  measure,  the 
reason  why  it  has  been  so  hard  to  make  an  impression 
upon  the  lower  classes  in  Mexico  and  our  Southwest. 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  37 

The  tender  and  merciful  Saviour  was  hidden  from  their 
sight,  and  in  His  place  there  was  pictured  a  God  who 
well  might  have  been  placed  beside  the  gods  whose  tem- 
ples the  children  were  taught  to  destroy.  It  is  related 
of  one  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries  that  he  tortured  him- 
self until  he  was  but  an  emaciated  skeleton  covered 
with  sores,  and  when,  in  his  old  age,  he  was  mercifully 
deprived  of  his  instruments  of  torture,  he  exclaimed  in 
anguish,  "  What  means  have  I  now  to  appease  the 
Lord?    What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?  " 

The  Religion  of  the  Mexicans.  Through  the  labors 
of  tireless,  consecrated  priests,  through  fear  and 
through  compulsion,  the  religion  of  the  Indians  of 
Spanish  speech  became  that  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  For  more  than  three  hundred  years  she  was 
without  a  competitor  in  Latin  America. 

The  Old  Missions.  The  stories  of  the  old  missions 
of  California,  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  Texas  form 
an  interesting  and  important  background  for  all  the 
history  of  the  Southwest.  Burton  Holmes  referred  to 
them  as  the  *'  Beacon  Lights  of  Civilization."  It  was 
just  seven  years  before  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence was  made  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  North 
America  that  Junipero  Serra,  inspired  by  the  noblest 
motives,  reached  the  Pacific  coast  and  began  the  estab- 
lishment of  missions  for  the  Church  of  Rome  and  the 
Crown  of  Spain.  The  priests  were  hindered  by  the 
viciousness  of  the  soldiers  who  accompanied  them,  but 
in  spite  of  this  bad  influence  succeeded  in  bringing  the 
Indians  to  a  better  mode  of  living  and  exerted  a  bene- 
ficial influence  over  many  tribes.     More  than  twenty 


38  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

missions  were  established,  the  Indians  performing  most 
of  the  labor  of  construction,  under  the  direction  of  the 
fathers.  When  the  buildings  were  completed  the  In- 
dians lived  about  them,  performing  the  duties  within 
and  without  the  missions.  The  life  seems  to  have  been 
very  happy  until  the  Mexican  government,  which  had 
succeeded  in  throwing  off  the  yoke  of  Spain,  began  to 
covet  the  properties,  which  were  worth  millions  of  dol- 
lars. The  missions  were  secularized  to  replete  the 
treasuries  of  Santa  Anna,  the  fathers  and  the  Indians 
departing  from  their  old  abodes.  In  recent  years  the 
buildings  have  been  restored,  but  the  friendly  life  of 
priest  and  people  which  was  a  part  of  the  old  missions 
is  but  a  memory  of  the  past. 

Beginnings  of  Protestant  Missions 

The  Early  Missionaries.  Shortly  after  the  close  of 
the  Mexican  War,  men  began  to  cross  the  continent  to 
the  new  region  of  California  in  search  of  gold.  At 
almost  the  same  time  other  men  began  going  to  New 
Mexico  for  a  far  nobler  purpose  —  that  of  carrying  the 
Word  of  God  to  the  Mexican  people  who  had  become 
part  of  the  United  States.  Many  Americans  disap- 
proved of  the  expense  of  the  war  and  the  acquisition 
of  new  territory,  but  the  Church  of  Christ  could  not 
stop  to  question  the  advisability  of  the  step ;  there  was 
a  new  responsibility  which  it  must  endeavor  to  meet. 
At  this  time,  there  was  but  one  white  settlement  be- 
sides the  military  posts  between  Missouri  and  Santa 
Fe.  The  great  event  in  New  Mexico  was  the  coming 
of  the  railroad  to  Santa  Fe;  before  that  the  journey  to 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  39 

the  territory  was  full  of  perils.  The  early  missionaries 
were  obliged  to  travel  by  ox  train,  taking  three  months 
for  the  dangerous  trip.  Yet  men  and  women  dared 
undertake  the  fearful  pilgrimage  for  the  sake  of  carry- 
ing the  Good  News  to  those  who  were  in  ignorance. 
The  first  Protestant  missionary  to  begin  work  in  the 
new  section  was  the  Rev.  Samuel  Gorman,  sent  out  by 
the  Baptist  church  to  labor  among  the  Pueblo  Indians. 
Little  is  known  of  his  work  except  that  he  established  a 
school,  using  the  Spanish  Bible  as  the  chief  textbook. 
About  a  year  after  Mr.  Gorman  went  to  New  Mexico, 
the  Presbyterian  and  Methodist  churches  sent  mission- 
aries to  the  territory. 

The  Civil  War  interrupted  the  missionaries,  many 
being  recalled,  while  most  of  the  buildings  occupied  by 
them  were  abandoned  for  a  time.  The  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Santa  Fe  was  not  organized  until 
1867,  although  the  first  Presbyterian  missionary  had 
reached  Santa  Fe  in  1850.  It  had  been  planned  that 
the  organization  should  take  place  in  the  senate  cham- 
ber of  the  Capitol,  but  the  man  who  carried  the  keys 
disappeared,  and  instead  the  organization  was  effected 
in  the  home  of  the  governor,  whose  wife  was  one  of 
those  most  eager  for  the  coming  of  the  Protestant 
church. 

At  about  the  same  time  John  L.  Dyer  made  a  trip 
on  horseback  to  New  Mexico.  Father  Dyer,  as  he  was 
called,  had  experienced  all  the  dangers  and  privations 
known  to  the  daring  pioneer  ministers  of  the  west. 
His  labors  called  him  to  the  mining  cafnps  of  Colorado, 
where  a  saloon  or  a  store  was  the  only  place  in  which 


40  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

service  could  be  held.  His  means  of  support  were  so 
small  that  he  was  obliged  to  work  at  some  manual  labor 
during  the  week  to  support  himself,  and  yet  without 
bitterness  or  a  feeling  of  discouragement  he  continued 
through  the  dangers  that  threatened  him.  No  one 
better  fitted  could  have  gone  to  visit  the  new  field,  and 
the  reports  made  by  him  so  stirred  the  Methodist  church 
of  which  he  was  a  preacher,  that  the  work  that  had 
been  given  up  was  revived  and  Father  Dyer  sent  to 
superintend  the  field.  In  speaking  of  his  district,  he 
said :  "  That  year  I  took  in  Trinidad,  being  the  first 
Protestant  who  ever  tried  to  preach  there.  This  ap- 
pointment was  not  taken  without  at  least  some  knowl- 
edge of  the  labor,  privations,  and  dangers  attending  a 
Protestant  preacher  in  that  field.  I  already  found  that 
it  was  not  Mexico,  but  New  Mexico,  the  outside  or  fag 
ends  of  an  old  Latinized  nation,  that  had  been  ridden 
over  by  Romish  priests.  Being  the  first  discoverers  of 
our  American  continent,  their  church,  I  supposed,  had 
lost  almost  all  but  form  and  ceremony,  and  had  been 
backsliding  ever  since.  I  have  seen  men  by  the  dozen 
go  to  church  in  the  morning  and  by  eleven  o'clock  the 
same  men  carrying  their  chickens  to  a  pit  to  have  a 
cock  fight  in  plain  view  of  the  priest's  house.  They 
were  communicants,  and  yet  I  never  knew  one  of  them 
to  be  brought  to  account  for  violating  the  Sabbath.  My 
prayer  is  that  God  will  convert  and  reform  that  whole 
country.  Indeed,  it  is  rapidly  becoming  enlightened 
and  improved  in  every  way."  Others  followed  Father 
Dyer  and  a  beginning  of  school  and  church  in  the  terri- 
tory was  thus  made. 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  41 

The  Mexican  People.  The  new  home  mission  field 
was  in  every  respect  a  foreign  mission  field.  There 
was  a  new  language  to  be  learned  and  a  people  whose 
manner  of  living  was  entirely  different  from  anything 
the  missionaries  had  known.  Men,  women,  and  even 
children  smoked  home-made  cigars ;  drinking,  gambling, 
and  cock-fighting  were  prevalent,  while  education  and 
religion  were  alike  neglected.  There  were  many  cus- 
toms that  reminded  the  missionaries  of  Bible  lands  in 
Bible  times.  The  implements  used  by  the  Mexicans 
were  most  primitive ;  they  prepared  their  food,  ploughed 
the  land,  threshed  grain,  and  separated  it  from  the  chaff 
like  the  people  of  old ;  the  herding  of  cattle  and  watch- 
ing of  sheep  made  the  missionaries  think  of  the  age  of 
the  patriarchs ;  people  carried  burdens  on  their  heads 
and  made  the  bricks  for  their  homes  of  the  mud  of  the 
streets  mixed  with  straw  and  chaff,  as  did  the  Israelites 
in  the  days  of  bondage.  Because  of  their  poverty  the 
natives  were  badly  nourished  and  very  poorly  clad. 
There  was  beauty  all  around  them,  but  they  did  not 
reflect  that  beauty. 

When  the  missionaries  were  admitted  to  the  homes 
of  the  kind  and  polite  people,  they  found  them  bare  and 
cheerless.  The  beds  were  spread  out  on  the  hard 
earthen  floor  at  night  and  in  the  morning  were  rolled 
up  and  placed  against  the  walls.  There  were  no 
chairs,  no  tables,  no  bedsteads,  and  one  room  was 
usually  living  and  sleeping  room  for  a  large  family,  a 
sufficient  reason  for  the  lack  of  delicacy  so  evident 
among  the  people.  Aside  from  the  pleasing  reverence 
for  parents  and  the  old,  the  home  relations  were  dis- 


42  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

tressing  to  those  coming  from  the  north.  Husbands 
and  sons  sat  down  and  ate  what  was  placed  before  them 
while  wives  and  daughters  stood  back  or  waited  in 
another  room  until  their  superiors  had  finished.  There 
was  a  freedom  from  moral  restraint  that  was  dangerous 
to  family  life.  Whether  these  faults  of  the  home  are  to 
be  attributed  to  the  Indian  ancestry  or  the  Spanish,  one 
can  hardly  decide.  The  relations  of  the  family  varied 
greatly  in  different  Indian  tribes,  but  we  may  imagine 
that  the  position  of  woman  in  the  home  was  an  inherit- 
ance from  the  Spanish  conquerors.  They  had  lived 
wath  Indian  women,  treating  them  as  slaves;  when  it 
pleased  the  Spaniard  to  change  his  location  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  leave  a  woman  and  her  children  behind, 
while  he  was  free  to  form  new  ties  in  a  new  locality. 
Women,  always  the  drudges,  were  looked  down  upon 
by  men  as  their  inferiors. 

Hindrances  to  Missionary  Efforts. —  The  opposition 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  proved  to  be  a  great 
hindrance  to  all  missionary  efforts,  as  did  the  fact  that 
the  Mexican  did  not  differentiate  between  the  mission- 
ary and  the  v/hite  man,  in  many  cases  a  fugitive  from 
justice,  who  had  come  for  the  purpose  of  gain  and  who 
had  been  unfair  in  his  dealings  with  the  Mexican.  The 
immorality  of  these  men  was  well  known  and  the  mis- 
sionary had  the  same  problem  to  contend  with  in  New 
Mexico  that  he  had  in  China  and  Africa,  where  the 
trader  had  gone  before  him.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
clergy  had  been  without  rivals  for  so  long  that  they 
could  not  imagine  the  possibility  of  Protestant  mission- 
aries coming  to  the  regions  they  claimed  as  their  own. 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  43 

People  were  threatened  and  warned  against  the  mis- 
sionaries as  against  a  pestilence,  and,  in  view  of  the 
knowledge  they  possessed  of  the  white  man,  there  is 
little  wonder  that  the  people  at  first  believed  what  the 
priests  told  them  of  the  immorality  of  Protestantism. 

The  Power  of  God's  Word. —  When  Mr.  Gorman 
was  recalled  from  New  Mexico  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War,  he  left  behind  him  at  least  one  Spanish 
Bible.  This  was  in  the  possession  of  a  young  man 
who  had  been  in  Mr.  Gorman's  employ.  He  continued 
to  read  the  Bible  and  when  he  married  he  read  it  to  his 
wife,  who  learned  to  believe  in  the  Book  and  love  it  as  ^_; 
her  husband  did.  There  was  no  Protestant  church,  no 
missionary  to  help  them,  and  so  they  worshipped  alone 
until  the  Congregational  Church  established  a  mission 
in  their  vicinity.  This  man,  who  was  still  living  in 
1914,  was  the  first  convert  of  Protestant  missions  in 
New  Mexico. 

A  Spanish  Bible  was  picked  up  on  the  road  near  Las 
Vegas  in  1868,  the  finder  exchanging  it  for  a  spelling 
book.  The  man  with  whom  he  made  the  exchange  was 
fond  of  reading,  and  began  at  once  to  study  his  new 
book.  He  gained  some  knowledge  of  the  way  of  life 
and  told  the  story  to  others  as  well  as  he  could,  in  a 
wonderful  way  preparing  the  field  for  missionaries  who 
later  reached  his  neighborhood. 

Father  Gomez  was  another  to  whom  the  Word  was 
revealed.  His  ancestors  came  to  this  country  with  the 
Spanish  conquerors,  living  in  the  manner  of  the  patri- 
archal famiHes  for  three  hundred  years.  In  some  way 
he  had  seen  a  Spanish  Bible  and  was  impressed  with 


44  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

the  truths  it  contained.  Although  he  was  a  poor  man 
he  determined  to  possess  a  copy.  He  borrowed  a  yoke 
of  oxen  and  with  another  ox  to  sell,  started  on  his 
journey  of  150  miles  to  Santa  Fe  to  secure  the  Book. 
The  ox  was  sold  for  $25,  and  the  Bible  purchased. 
Father  Gomez  read  with  joy;  accepting  the  teachings 
and  telling  his  friends  of  the  love  of  God,  he  formed 
them  into  a  group  of  Bible  Christians,  among  whom  a 
church  was  soon  organized  when  Presbyterian  mission- 
aries came  to  them.  When  the  General  Assembly  of 
that  denomination  met  in  New  York  in  1889  a  young 
man  spoke  before  a  group  of  women  holding  that  price- 
less Bible  in  his  hands.  It  had  lost  its  covers  from  use. 
The  young  man,  a  grandson  of  Father  Gomez,  told 
what  a  power  it  had  been  in  bringing  people  to  God, 
and  said  in  closing,  "  I  bless  and  praise  God  for  the 
precious  gift,  and  I  would  not  part  with  it  for  all  the 
world  beside.'* 

The  Penitentes 

The  Order  of  Penitent  Brothers  was  even  more 
active  in  the  days  of  the  early  missionaries  than  it  is 
today.  This  is  the  development  of  the  Third  Order  of 
Saint  Francis,  the  name  having  been  changed  three 
centuries  ago  in  Spain  before  the  Franciscan  monks 
brought  it  to  this  country.  In  America  self-torture  was 
added  to  the  original  requirements  of  the  order.  The 
members,  some  twenty-five  or  thirty-five  thousand 
strong,  claim  allegiance  to  the  Catholic  Church,  al- 
though the  Church  will  not  allow  the  celebration  of 
their  rites  within  its  buildings.     Men  and  women  are 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  45 

members,  the  women  meeting  separately  except  during 
the  services  of  Holy  Week.  Good  Friday  is  the  day  on 
which  the  religious  rites  are  especially  carried  out,  al- 
though each  Friday  in  Lent  service  is  conducted  at  the 
Morado  and  processions  are  held  at  night  in  which  tor- 
ture is  undergone.  On  Good  Friday  is  held  what  is 
called  the  Procession  to  Calvary.  Several  men  carry 
heavy  wooden  crosses  bound  to  their  naked  backs. 
Others,  stripped  to  the  waist,  scourge  themselves  as 
they  pass  along  the  road  with  scourges  dipped  in  salt 
water  to  make  them  sting  more  cruelly.  The  backs 
bleed  under  the  cutting  scourge  and  men,  exhausted 
through  pain,  fall  down  only  to  be  urged  on  by  those 
attending  them. 

The  general  idea  that  the  Crucifixion  as  enacted  by 
the  Penitentes  is  dying  out  is  denied  by  those  who  are 
upon  the  scene.  The  nailing  of  the  victim,  or  hero  as 
he  prefers  to  be  regarded,  to  the  cross,  does  not  take 
place,  although  he  begs  for  the  nails,  believing  the  en- 
durance of  this  greater  agony  is  a  glory  to  him ;  but  a 
man  is  stretched,  bound  with  ropes  upon  the  cross,  his 
side  pierced  until  the  blood  flows  from  it,  and  then  the 
cross  is  elevated. 

In  "  Our  Mexicans "  Rev.  Robert  M.  Craig  has 
given  a  vivid  description  of  the  services  in  the  Morado 
or  Holy  Dwelling,  to  which  he  was  admitted  through 
the  influence  of  a  friend.  "  The  building  is  of  adobe, 
with  large  sliding  doors  in  one  end,  and  with  but  one 
small,  round  hole  in  one  side  for  light  and  ventilation. 
The  floor  is  native  earth,  except  at  the  end  where  the 
altar  is  located.     In  front  of  this  table,  on  a  small 


46  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

stool,  sit  two  men,  each  holding  a  stone  in  his  hand. 
Directly  in  front  of  the  stool,  but  on  the  earthen  floor, 
at  some  distance  from  the  front  of  the  altar  platform, 
is  a  stand  on  which  is  a  wooden  triangle,  having  one 
lighted  candle  on  the  apex,  three  on  the  base,  and  five 
on  either  side.  In  front  of  this  the  Penitentes  stand 
facing  the  lights.  These  men  for  days  have  been  tor- 
turing themselves.  Now  their  heads  and  backs  and 
arms  are  bandaged.  These  men  we  would  suppose  to 
be  the  most  religious  in  the  community ;  instead,  they 
are  regarded  by  the  people  as  the  most  deluded  and  of 
the  lower  class,  doing  penance  not  only  for  the  sins  they 
have  committed,  but  for  those  which  they  intend  to 
commit  during  the  coming  year. 

"  All  things  being  ready,  at  the  blast  of  a  trumpet 
the  meeting  is  in  progress.  The  choristers  under  the 
table  sing  and  play  one  verse.  The  men  in  front  of 
the  table  strike  three  times  on  the  seats  with  the  stones 
they  hold  in  their  hands,  then  one  of  the  Penitentes 
steps  forward  and  extinguishes  one  of  the  lights.  This 
continues  until  all  the  lights  but  one  have  disappeared. 
There  is  silence  for  a  moment.  Then  a  large,  flat  sur- 
face, probably  nine  by  twelve  feet,  apparently  of  wood, 
covered  with  zinc,  which  in  its  turn  is  covered  with 
leather,  is  placed  on  the  floor.  The  doors  in  the  front 
of  the  building  are  closed  and  barred.  The  Hermanas 
range  themselves  about  the  room.  The  music  is  again 
started,  and  at  a  given  signal  the  last  light  is  gone. 
From  boxes  and  barrels,  previously  ranged  round  the 
room,  ropes  and  chains  and  sticks  are  drawn,  and  for 


FOLLOWING  THE  CROSS  47 

aUout  one  half-hour  the  clashing  of  chains  and  the 
clamor  of  other  instruments  is  maddening. 

"  The  noise,  the  groans,  and  the  darkness  I  can  never 
forget.  If  at  any  time  I  want  an  illustration  of  that 
*  outer  darkness  '  I  only  think  of  that  awful  night  in  the 
Penitentes'  meeting-house. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  Not  *  the  arrival  of  the 
soul  in  purgatory,'  as  some  one  has  said.  As  the 
candles  are  again  lighted,  I  see  one  of  the  Penitentes 
go  forward  and  take  from  the  wall  a  cross  on  which  is 
an  image  intended  to  represent  our  Saviour,  who  has 
died  during  the  darkness,  and  at  once  the  whole  mys- 
tery is  clear.  The  darkness,  with  all  the  unearthly 
sounds,  is  intended  to  represent  the  transactions  at  Cal- 
vary on  the  Good  Friday  night  when  the  '  King  of 
Glory '  bowed  His  head  and  gave  up  the  ghost. 

"  After  this  service  the  image  on  the  cross  is  borne 
from  the  little  chapel  to  the  house  of  a  friend  where 
entertainment  has  been  provided,  and  there  the  music  is 
kept  up  until  the  morning,  when  all  return  to  the 
Morado,  from  which  they  go  to  their  homes  in  peace." 

A  Land  of  Crosses 

New  Mexico  has  been  called  a  "  land  of  crosses,  but 
no  Christ."  The  people  have  worshipped  for  centuries 
the  dead  Christ,  His  Cross,  the  Virgin,  and  the  saints 
as  idols.  The  effort  of  missionaries  is  ever  to  make  the 
Risen  Christ  triumph  over  the  darkness  of  this  land,  as 
He  ever  triumphs  over  spiritual  and  physical  darkness. 
Only  the  Gospel  of  love,  preached  in  personal  contact. 


48  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

supported  by  the  godly  lives  of  missionaries,  lived  in 
works  of  mercy  and  healing,  can  ever  counteract  the 
influence  of  a  teaching  that  has  so  largely  incorporated 
the  old  Indian  paganism  into  the  faith  developed  by 
the  early  missionaries.  Love  and  patience,  not  con- 
troversy, must  characterize  the  winning  missionary 
propaganda.  Once  the  people  are  undeceived,  the  old 
system  loses  its  hold  forever,  and  blind,  unquestioning 
submission  is  changed  into  a  strong,  living  faith  in  and 
loyal  adherence  to  the  newly  discovered  Father  and  the 
tender,  sympathetic  Christ. 


Ill 

REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST 


"  There  is  such  a  thing  as  the  mirage  of  the  desert,  which 
has  mocked  the  dying  traveler.  There  is  also  the  oasis  where 
the  grass  is  green  and  the  palm  trees  stand  erect  in  their 
beauty,  and  the  reason  thereof  is  the  unfailing  spring  which 
rises  from  the  heart  of  the  earth  and  yields  its  living  water 
to  the  traveler  as  he  journeys  across  the  desert  from  the  land 
which  he  has  left  to  the  land  which  he  has  never  seen.  That 
spring  is  the  Spirit  of  the  living  Christ,  Who  *  was  dead  *  and 
is  'alive  for  evermore,'  Who  remaineth  from  age  to  age  the 
strength  and  hope  of  the  race  into  which  He  was  born  and 
for  which  He  died." 

John  Watson,  D.D. 


Ill 

REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST 

*'  The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be 
glad  for  them;  and  the  desert  shall  rejoice,  and  blos- 
som as  the  rose.  It  shall  blossom  abundantly,  and  re- 
joice even  with  joy  and  singing;  the  glory  of  Lebanon 
shall  be  given  unto  it,  the  excellency  of  Carmel  and 
Sharon;  they  shall  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
excellency  of  our  God.  ...  In  the  wilderness  shall 
waters  break  out,  and  streams  in  the  desert.  And  the 
parched  ground  shall  become  a  pool,  and  the  thirsty 
land  springs  of  water:  in  the  habitation  of  dragons, 
where  each  lay,  shall  be  grass,  with  reeds  and  rushes.'* 

The  prophet  might  well  have  spoken  these  words  of 
our  own  Southwest.  The  wildernesses,  the  solitary 
places,  the  parched  lands  have  been  redeemed  to  a 
great  extent  through  the  work  of  our  government,  and 
where  habitation  seemed  impossible  the  desert  is  blos- 
soming as  the  rose. 

It  is  a  wonderful  countr}?-.  The  remarkable  trans- 
formation of  the  past  few  years  was  seen  by  thousands 
of  Exposition  visitors  who  traversed  the  continent  last 
summer.  California,  New  Mexico,  and  Arizona  were 
appreciated  as  never  before.  Much  has  been  accom- 
plished through  irrigation  and  scientific  farming,  but 
vast  regions  are  still  untouched. 

51 


52  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

Many  have  found  the  redemption  of  the  wilderness 
the  greatest  attraction  in  the  Southwest,  others  enjoy 
the  climate,  while  still  others  are  drawn  by  the  wonder- 
ful scenery.  An  artist  colony  has  been  established  in 
Taos,  the  second  oldest  town  in  New  Mexico.  Lum- 
mis,  in  his  book  "  The  Land  of  Poco  Tiempo,"  de- 
scribes New  Mexico  by  the  words  "  Sun,  silence,  and 
adobe ; "  to  another  the  moonlight  of  New  Mexico 
makes  the  strongest  appeal,  while  a  starlit  night  has 
been  most  wonderfully  described  by  a  musician,  Franz 
X.  Arens,  conductor  of  the  People's  Symphony  Con- 
certs in  New  York.  On  a  recent  program  he  intro- 
duced the  Second  Movement  of  Dvorak's  "  New 
World  Symphony  "  in  the  following  words :  "  Some 
years  ago,  I  made  a  most  interesting  trip  of  over  three 
hundred  miles  into  the  New  Mexico  mountain  regions. 
There  were  seven  of  us,  and  we  traveled  in  old-fash- 
ioned canvas-covered  prairie  schooners,  along  deep 
canyons,  over  high  mountain  passes,  through  Indian 
reservations,  over  lava-strewn  deserts,  etc.  One  beau- 
tiful night  we  camped  on  an  open  prairie;  to  the  East 
loomed  the  Taos  Mountains,  raising  their  peaks  over 
12,000  feet.  To  the  North,  South,  and  West  was  the 
seemingly  endless  prairie ;  overhead  were  the  stars,  and 
in  such  numbers!  There  seemed  to  be  more  stars 
than  I  had  ever  dreamed  of,  and  such  lustrous  stars! 
They  seemed  to  be  suspended  from  the  heavenly  dome 
as  so  many  electric  lights,  scintillating  in  their  brilli- 
ancy and  lustre.  The  very  stillness  and  silence  with  its 
impressiveness  seemed  to  be  pregnant  with  eloquence. 

"  It  was  a  wonderful  and  a  new  experience  for  me ; 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         53 

its  beauty  would  not  let  me  go  to  sleep ;  and  so,  lying 
on  my  back,  I  gazed  at  those  stars,  and  gave  myself 
over  entirely  to  the  wonders  of  the  scene.  For  a  long 
while  I  lay  thus,  when,  lo!  out  of  that  vast  stillness 
there  came  a  haunting  melody  to  my  memory.  It  was 
the  English  Horn  melody  of  the  '  New  World  Sym- 
phony ' ;  and  this  movement  depicts  the  mysterious 
beauty,  vastness  and  stillness  of  a  starlight  night  on  our 
western  prairies." 

In  the  early  days  when  New  Mexico  was  received 
into  the  United  States  the  government  established  mili- 
tary posts  throughout  the  west  to  enforce  order.  At 
the  same  time  the  Church  stationed  her  soldiers  in  the 
lonely  country.  The  glimpses  of  Anglo-Saxon  cultiva- 
tion and  Christianity  have  aroused  the  people  of  Mexi- 
can origin  and  they  are  eager  for  education  in  the  Eng- 
lish language.  It  is  to  the  ministry  of  faithful  soldiers 
of  the  Cross  to  the  physical  and  spiritual  needs  of  the 
new  citizens,  rather  than  to  the  enforced  control  of  the 
government,  that  the  progress  made  by  the  people  of 
the  Southwest  must  be  attributed. 

The  great  region  known  as  the  Southwest  is  made  up 
of  the  states  of  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Colorado, 
and  California.  Texas,  according  to  the  last  census, 
had  a  population  of  3,896,542  people,  of  whom  125,016 
were  Mexicans;  New  Mexico  had  11,918  Mexicans  in 
a  population  of  327,301 ;  in  California  and  Arizona 
were  found  33,694  and  29,987  Mexicans.  The  total 
number  of  Mexicans,  irrespective  of  people  of  Mexi- 
can blood  who  have  been  born  in  the  United  States,  was 
about  200,000,  scattered  over  the  states  of  the  south 


54         OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

and  west.  Since  the  census  was  made  a  large  number 
of  Mexican  refugees,  variously  estimated  from  500,000 
to  1,000,000,  have  come  into  the  country. 

Until  recently  the  Mexican  people  have  lived  quite 
apart  from  the  American  population  in  small  villages 
known  as  plazas^  where  the  Spanish  speaking  priest  had 
full  control  until  the  Protestant  missionary  went  in. 
Ignorance  and  immorality,  superstition  and  witchcraft 
have  existed  and  still  exist  in  parts  remote  from  the 
paths  of  civilization  and  Christianity. 

Conditions  With  Which  Missionaries  Contend 

Superstition  and  Belief  in  Witches. —  Among  some 
of  the  Mexican  people  the  belief  in  witches  and  what 
they  call  the  *'  power  of  the  evil  eye  "  is  common.  A 
missionary  tells  of  finding  two  brothers  crying  and  on 
asking  the  reason  he  was  told  by  one  of  them  "  A  drop 
of  blood  fell  from  the  ceiling  on  the  towel  with  which 
he  was  drying  the  dishes,  and  it  means  there  will  be  a 
death  in  the  family,  for  about  the  same  thing  hap- 
pened just  a  year  ago  and  our  little  brother  died." 
The  blood  had  come  from  a  scratch,  but  they  would 
not  believe  it.  A  poor  old  woman  is  generally  singled 
out  as  a  witch,  and  she  is  said  to  go  around  after  dark 
in  the  guise  of  a  cat,  dog,  or  owl.  People  fear  to  touch 
anything  she  has  touched,  believing  evil  will  come  from 
it.  Another  missionary  tells  of  living  next  the  village 
witch,  and  the  terror  of  the  children  when  this  poor 
woman  brought  food  to  her.  The  teacher  ate  the  food, 
but  the  fact  that  she  was  not  harmed  did  not  convince 
her  pupils  that  the  witch  was  harmless.     The  same  mis- 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         55 

sionary  was  told  by  a  poor  old  lady  who  had  asthma, 
that  she  had  been  a  beautiful  singer  until  a  friend  who 
was  jealous  of  her  voice  hired  a  witch  to  give  her  food 
v/ith  something  in  it  to  ruin  her  voice.  Still  another 
missionary  has  written  of  her  amazement  one  evening 
in  finding  one  of  the  most  intelligent  women  in  her 
village  throwing  stones  up  into  a  tall  tree,  while  she 
scolded  a  hooting  owl  that  had  taken  refuge  there. 
When  asked  what  she  was  doing,  the  woman  answered 
she  was  trying  to  kill  the  witch  who  was  concealed  in 
the  form  of  an  owl.  The  examples  of  belief  in  witches 
are  not  few.  It  has  been  stated  that  probably  sixty 
per  cent  of  the  people  fear  their  power. 

Power  of  the  Priest, —  The  power  the  priests  hold 
over  the  Mexicans  is  very  great.  From  the  earliest 
days  of  Protestant  effort  they  have  opposed  the  coming 
of  the  missionaries.  They  have  tried  all  these  years 
to  keep  the  people  from  the  mission  schools  and 
churches.  First  the  priest  warned  the  Mexicans 
against  Protestants  as  against  those  who  had  come  to 
injure  them ;  if  a  warning  was  not  sufficient,  the  priest 
exercised  his  authority,  and  if  that  authority  was  dis- 
regarded he  refused  to  administer  the  rites  of  the 
church  to  those  who  disobeyed,  a  threat  which  in  very 
many  cases  has  been  sufficient  to  bring  about  the  de- 
sired result.  The  offices  of  the  priest  —  baptism,  mar- 
riage, confession,  absolution,  burial  —  are  administered 
only  for  money  and  the  tax  on  the  poverty-stricken 
people  has  been  heavy  and  paid  under  protest,  but  it 
has  been  paid. 

A  missionary  writes :     ''  Suppose  you  were  taught 


56  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

that  they  observe  *  children's  day '  in  purgatory ;  that 
every  child  there  for  whom  friends  on  earth  buy  a 
candle  will  have  a  lighted  candle  to  carry  in  the  proces- 
sion, and  that  every  child  for  whom  a  candle  is  not 
bought  on  earth  marches  with  the  procession,  but  with 
its  upraised  finger  burning;  would  you  not,  if  you  be- 
lieved it,  pay  any  price  for  a  candle,  so  your  child 
might  not  have  its  finger  burn  ? 

"  Suppose  you  were  taught  that  unless  you  had  the 
priest's  forgiveness  for  your  sins  and  his  blessing  as 
you  lay  on  your  dying  bed  that  you  would  go  to  hell ; 
would  you  not  get  money  from  any  source,  so  you 
might  have  the  sprinkling  with  holy  water  and  the 
anointing  with  oil  at  the  hand  of  the  priest  who  had 
the  keeping  of  your  soul  in  his  hand  ? 

"  Suppose  you  believed  that  your  baby  would  be  lost 
unless  the  priest  baptized  that  child ;  would  you  not  get 
the  money  for  the  baptism  and  give  it  to  the  priest,  no 
matter  at  what  sacrifice  ?  " 

Another  missionary  tells  of  a  daring  attempt  of  one 
of  the  clergy  to  prove  to  his  people  the  punishment  for 
disobeying  the  authority  of  the  clergy :  "  A  mother  of 
three  grown  sons  was  dying.  She  had  come  to  doubt 
the  sanctity  and  genuineness  of  the  priesthood,  and  es- 
pecially of  the  priest  in  this  particular  village,  and  her 
last  request  was  that  they  would  not  allow  him  to 
bury  her.  This  request  they  honored,  laying  her  away 
without  the  religious  ceremony.  Soon  the  husband  was 
called  upon  by  the  priest  to  explain  why  he  did  not  re- 
quest him  to  say  mass  at  the  burial.  He  told  his  wife's 
wishes  in  the  matter.     The  priest  told  him  his  wife  was 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST  57 

in  hell  and  would  remain  there  until  he  had  mass  for 
her  deliverance.  The  man  was  rather  bold  and  dared 
to  dispute  the  belief  that  his  wife  was  in  torment,  '  for/ 
said  he,  *  my  wife  was  a  good  woman/  '  I  will  prove 
to  you  next  Sabbath,'  said  the  priest,  '  that  your  wife 
is  burning  in  hell/  It  became  known  that  the  demon- 
stration was  to  take  place,  so  there  was  a  great  crowd 
gathered  to  see  the  work.  The  priest  led  the  way  to  the 
cemetery,  armed  with  his  vessel  of  holy  water  and  his 
crucifix  with  a  long  staff.  When  he  reached  the  grave 
he  pressed  the  staff  down  into  the  grave  some  two  feet 
or  more  and  worked  it  about  until  the  hole  was  left 
open.  He  then  poured  holy  water  into  the  hole.  It 
was  only  a  little  while  until  a  crackling  like  fire  was 
heard  and  something  like  smoke  began  to  escape.  The 
priest  had  made  good  and  told  the  wicked  man  that  the 
smoke  was  from  hell,  wh^re  his  wife  was  in  torment. 
The  demonstration  was  a  succe'ss,  and  the  man  was 
convinced,  and  began  negotiations  with  the  priest  for 
terms  to  get  her  out.  He  was  told  that  owing  to  the 
aggravation  of  his  crime  it  would  take  $500.  This  he 
could  not  pay,  so  he  was  in  a  great  state.  You  see  he 
was  especially  guilty,  because  he  had  tried  to  evade  the 
established  forms  of  the  holy  church.  His  wife's  sister 
came  to  the  rescue.  She  told  the  man  to  make  no 
contract,  but  to  go  home  with  her  and  she  would  show 
him  what  to  do.  He  did  so.  After  all  had  gone  from 
the  cemetery  she  told  her  brother-in-law  to  get  a  shovel 
and  go  with  her.  They  went  to  the  grave  and  opened 
it  and  found  there  a  pile  of  quick  lime,  which,  of  course, 
began  to  slack  when  the  water  was  poured  on  it.     This 


58         OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

happened  a  few  years  ago,  but  thanks  to  Him  who  will 
lead  all  who  care  to  follow,  the  day  of  such  things  is 
fast  passing,  and  the  Httle  weak  churches  and  the  mis- 
sion schools  are  bringing  about  the  change,  slowly,  it 
seems  at  times,  but  truly,  truly." 

After  the  mission  schools  were  definitely  established 
the  opposition  of  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  to  them 
seemed  to  lessen,  but  during  the  past  year  two  teachers, 
one  from  one  of  the  largest  boarding  schools  and  the 
other  from  a  plasa  school  have  said :  "  We  are  meet- 
ing with  more  opposition  from  the  Catholic  priests  this 
year  than  we  have  had  for  a  good  many  years.  Either 
they  feel  the  need  of  a  renewed  effort  locally  or  there 
is  a  pressure  from  headquarters.  This  morning  a  fine 
boy  who  entered  school  last  week  came  to  tell  me  that 
his  father  had  told  him  he  had  to  stop  school,  because 
the  priest  had  said  that  none  of  the  family  could  come 
to  church  or  have  any  of  the  church  rites  administered 
to  them  if  the  boy  was  left  in  the  Protestant  school. 
This  seems  like  old  times  for  we  have  often  met  this 
opposition,  but  not  much  of  late  years." 

'*  The  priests  are  getting  desperate,  especially  in  the 
more  remote  villages,  and  are  threatening  all  sorts  of 
dire  calamities  upon  those  who  send  their  children  to 
our  schools.  They  say  the  children  receive  a  little 
poison  every  day." 

Customs. —  Efforts  to  improve  conditions  in  Mexico 
are  hampered  by  the  prevailing  idea  that  what  has  been 
for  generations  must  continue  forever.  Children  are 
a  blessing,  for  they  come  to  relieve  parents  of  work. 
It  is  amazing  how  much  labor  is  expected  of  the  tiny 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         59 

children,  and  their  capability  for  work  makes  their 
school  attendance  very  irregular.  Marriage  takes 
place  early,  and  the  contracting  parties  have  little  voice 
in  the  matter,  the  fathers  arranging  for  them. 

Each  place  holds  its  Fiesta  annually.  The  celebra- 
tion is  in  honor  of  the  patron  saint  of  the  village,  and 
religious  services  are  carried  on  by  the  priest.  The 
saint  is  brought  from  his  place  in  the  church  and  car- 
ried about  the  town,  the  religious  service  of  the  morn- 
ing being  followed  by  an  afternoon  of  revelry,  which 
often  terminates  in  heavy  drinking.  In  Taos  the 
Fiesta  combines  with  the  worship  of  the  saint  the  old 
Indian  rites  in  honor  of  the  sun. 

Ceremonies  for  the  dying  and  dead  are  particularly 
distressing.  A  note  from  a  recent  letter  from  one  of 
the  plasa  mission  schools  helps  us  to  realize  these  con- 
ditions. *'  The  evening  before  my  neighbor  died  the 
room  was  filled  with  people,  all  praying  aloud.  A  bon- 
fire is  kept  burning  before  the  house  all  night,  and 
there  is  always  a  feast  for  the  friends  with  a  plentiful 
supply  of  wines  and  whiskey.  And  the  horrible  wail- 
ing! It  is  wonderful  that  the  throats  of  people  in 
affliction  are  not  worn  out.  The  sound  is  peculiar  and 
terrible.  The  mourner,  her  head  covered  with  a  black 
shawl,  cries  out  until  completely  exhausted.  When  we 
ask  why  they  do  it  they  say,  *  It  is  our  custom.  You 
Protestants  are  cold.' " 

A  teacher  tells  graphically  of  his  experience  when 
going  home  with  the  body  of  one  of  the  pupils  who  had 
died  in  the  school.  "  We  were  met  at  the  station  of 
Embudo  and  had  to  drive  twenty  miles  up  into  the 


6o  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

mountains  to  the  beautiful  little  valley  of  El  Valle  del 
San  Maguiel.  The  wailing  of  the  mourner  is  a  cry  of 
despair  and  grief.  We  were  met  by  nine  horsemen  and 
four  wagonloads  of  parents  and  friends,  and  of  all 
doleful,  heart-rending  sounds  I  have  ever  heard  these 
were  the  worst.  On  the  drive  home  we  had  to  stop 
with  every  person  we  met  and  every  town  through 
which  we  passed,  and  there  the  wailing  was  repeated. 
Some  five  or  six  miles  from  the  home  we  were  met  by 
another  band  of  horsemen,  some  of  them  the  brothers 
of  the  dead  boy,  some  cousins,  and  some  friends. 
About  one  mile  from  the  house  we  were  met  by  all  the 
remaining  inhabitants  of  the  valley.  The  night  had 
settled  down  long  before  this,  and  the  wailing  and 
shrieking  were  awful.  This  was  the  way  the  people 
had  of  expressing  their  sorrow  and  sympathy  for  the 
bereaved.  We  proceeded  to  the  home  and  the  body 
was  taken  into  the  room  and  again  the  wails  of  sorrow 
were  heard.  Such  a  night  I  have  never  passed,  and  I 
never  want  to  have  to  pass  another  one.  One  of  our 
young  ministers  was  sent  for  and  we  had  some  Chris- 
tian services,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  family 
is  nominally  Catholic.  After  the  services  they  took  up 
again  the  singing  of  dirges,  which  had  been  going  on 
over  the  body  for  miles  before  we  reached  the  home, 
and  was  continued  all  night.  About  two  o'clock  the 
following  afternoon  we  laid  the  poor  boy  to  rest  in  the 
little  graveyard." 

The  Saloon. —  One  of  the  greatest  evils  with  which 
the  missionary  must  contend  is  the  saloon,  and,  to  the 
shame  of  the  American,  this  great  evil  is  a  product  of 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         6l 

American  occupation.  One  of  the  oldest  missionaries 
said  that  years  ago  before  the  American  saloon  became 
so  universal,  evangelistic  work  was  far  more  fruitful 
than  it  has  been  since.  Public  schools  are  oftentimes 
supported  from  the  license  of  the  saloons,  and  if  there 
are  few  saloons  and  money  is  scarce,  the  schools  are 
kept  open  only  two  or  three  months.  There  is  a  bright 
side  to  the  question,  for  people  are  awakening  to  this 
danger  and  in  some  places  are  voting  it  out.  Here  is  a 
word  from  San  Mateo :  "  Our  Mexicans  from  San 
Mateo  voted  unanimously  to  close  the  saloons.  There 
was  but  one  vote  for  the  saloons,  and  it  was  cast  by  a 
poor,  benighted  American  who  did  it  for  pure  spite." 

Work  of  the  Churches 

Evangelistic. —  Ever  since  the  day  when  Jose  Y. 
Perea  met  the  Rev.  John  Annin,  who  went  to  New 
Mexico  in  1869,  with  the  words  "  I  have  been  praying 
for  a  missionary,  and  I  have  made  vows  and  promises 
to  the  Lord  in  connection  with  this  work.  You  can 
depend  on  me  for  anything  I  can  do  to  assist  this  mis- 
sion work,"  there  have  been  splendid  men  of  Mexican 
parentage  to  engage  in  evangelism.  Mr.  Perea  was 
later  ordained,  and  ministered  to  a  parish  that  required 
fifteen  days  to  cover.  The  great  drawback  to  mission- 
ary work  has  always  been  the  small  number  of  men 
who  are  engaged  in  it.  It  has  been  necessary  to  spread 
the  efforts  of  the  few  clergy  over  so  large  a  territory 
that  only  an  occasional  service  has  been  possible  in 
many  places,  and  whole  regions  have  been  absolutely 
neglected.     California  has  a  large  Mexican  population, 


62         OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

and  although  work  is  being  successfully  carried  on  in 
many  localities  there  are  large  settlements  of  Mexicans 
almost  untouched  by  missionary  effort.  In  Arizona 
mission  workers  are  laboring  under  great  difficulties  in 
the  mining  camps  with  a  constantly  moving  population, 
yet  not  only  is  there  permanent  growth,  but  there  is  the 
joy  of  knowing  that  the  message  is  being  carried  to 
these  roving  Old  Mexico  miners.  The  influence  of  the 
evangelistic  work  in  New  Mexico  is  greatly  aided  by 
the  work  of  the  mission  schools,  most  of  the  evangel- 
ists being  graduates  of  these  same  schools. 

In  Colorado  the  efforts  of  consecrated  men  who 
toiled  over  the  mountains,  visiting  Mexican  hamlets 
and  sheep  camps,  teaching  and  preaching  the  Gospel 
of  Christ,  have  been  rewarded.  Today  are  to  be 
found  in  this  locality  as  strong  Protestant  Spanish- 
American  Christians  as  anywhere  within  the  bounds  of 
the  United  States.  The  enthusiastic  annual  conven- 
tion of  the  Mexican  Christian  Endeavor  Societies  of 
Colorado  is  an  evidence  of  the  ever  increasing  influ- 
ence of  the  faithful  missionaries.  Texas  is  in  the 
making.  The  most  wonderful  state  in  the  Union  in  its 
possibilities,  it  has  the  Mexican  problem  in  a  more 
acute  form  than  any  other.  Bordering  on  a  more 
populous  part  of  Old  Mexico  than  do  the  other  states, 
it  comes  more  closely  in  touch  with  the  more  irre- 
sponsible and  lawless  Mexican  element.  There  may 
be  more  reason  for  race  prejudice  there;  but,  to  the 
honor  of  the  Texan  Christians,  in  no  part  of  the 
Southwest  is  the  problem  being  approached  with 
greater  earnestness  and  zeal.     El  Paso  is  the  centre  of 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         63 

activity,  but  the  Southern  Methodist,  the  Presbyterian 
U.  S.,  and  the  Baptist  have  established  their  missions 
along  the  whole  frontier  line.  In  El  Paso  nearly  all 
denominations  are  at  work.  Owing  to  the  great  mass 
of  refugees  from  Mexico,  this  past  year  has  been  an 
exceptional  one,  for  many  have  "  cried  unto  the  Lord 
in  their  trouble  "  and  He  has  given  them  a  hope  that 
is  not  dependent  upon  conditions  in  poor,  battle-torn 
Mexico. 

Educational. —  Whenever  our  forefathers  estab- 
lished a  new  town,  the  church  and  the  school  were  al- 
ways placed  at  the  center  of  the  settlement.  Religion 
and  education  must  always  go  hand  in  hand.  The 
Roman  Catholic  Church  neglected  this  principle. 
W^hen  the  missionaries  went  to  the  Southwest  they 
realized  that  the  greatest  need  of  the  people,  next  to 
the  Gospel,  was  education  and  they  did  everything  in 
their  power  to  relieve  that  need.  As  late  as  1872  there 
was  but  one  school  in  New  Mexico.  The  territory 
was  very  poor  and  unable  at  the  start  to  provide  its 
own  schools.  Even  the  largest  places  were  dependent 
upon  those  of  the  Mission  Boards  for  some  years.  In 
the  larger  towns  and  cities  today,  however,  the  schools 
are  as  well  equipped  and  progressive  as  anywhere  in 
the  country,  and  there  is  a  steady  improvement  in  the 
work  in  smaller  places. 

Early  mission  schools  were  day  schools,  but  teachers 
realized  that  far  more  could  be  done  for  the  children 
if  they  had  them  all  the  time,  and  about  1880  a  be- 
ginning of  boarding  school  work  was  made.  It  has 
been   the   policy   of   Church    Boards   to    discontinue 


64  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

schools  wherever  public  schools  reach  a  high  standard, 
and  so  from  time  to  time  school  work  in  different  vil- 
lages has  been  given  up.  The  total  number  of  day 
and  boarding  schools  now  maintained  by  the  Protestant 
Church  in  the  Southwest  is  about  twenty-five,  and  as 
these  are  spread  over  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Colorado, 
Texas,  and  southern  California,  they  can  reach  but  a 
small  proportion  of  the  young  people  of  this  region. 

No  estimate  can  ever  be  made  of  the  value  of  the 
pla^a  schools  to  the  communities  to  which  they  min- 
ister. Oftentimes  an  American  young  woman  has  en- 
tered a  plaza,  opened  a  school  and  carried  on  the  work 
alone,  being  perhaps  the  only  American  in  the  village. 
She  has  been  nurse,  doctor,  teacher,  and  friend  to  the 
people  of  the  community.  Her  home  has  been  their 
refuge,  the  model  from  which  they  have  tried  to  im- 
prove their  own  homes.  She  has  had  to  adjust  her 
life  to  the  life  of  the  people  and  win  their  confidence 
and  love  through  unselfish  living  and  devotion  to  them. 
A  teacher  who  opened  the  work  at  Embudo,  New 
Mexico,  described  her  experiences : 

"  We  often  read  of  the  strange  customs  of  a  race 
v/hose  language  differs  from  ours,  but  we  do  not  un- 
derstand until  we  mingle  with  them.  Thus  was  the 
reality  brought  to  bear  upon  me  when  first  I  came  to 
live  with  the  Mexicans  in  Embudo.  My  first  week 
was  spent  in  a  Mexican  home,  my  bed  was  made  on 
the  floor,  the  woven  mattress  hard  and  knotty ;  sleep 
seemed  impossible,  but  nature  at  length  succumbed  and 
the  night  passed  by.  One  thing  out  of  their  custom, 
I  had  a  room  at  night  to  myself.     Breakfast  consisted 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST  65 

of  black  coffee  and  tortillas  (pancakes)  placed  on  a 
small  stand,  and  the  man  of  the  house  ate  with  me ;  as 
the  women  eat  after  the  men,  they  waited  until  we 
finished,  then  partook  of  their  meal  in  the  next  room 
on  the  floor,  as  is  the  custom. 

"  For  dinner  a  chicken  was  prepared,  which  had 
more  bones  than  meat.  Not  having  a  stove,  all  cook- 
ing is  done  on  the  fire-place.  So  I  was  amused  at  the 
process  of  cooking  the  chicken.  It  was  cut  in  small 
pieces,  and  one  piece  at  a  time  was  put  on  a  two- 
pronged  iron  rod,  held  over  the  blaze  until  done,  then 
served  on  a  plate.  In  order  to  help  me  the  man 
picked  up  a  part  of  the  chicken  with  his  fingers  and 
gave  it  to  me.  At  supper  we  had  Indian  meal  gruel, 
which  is  considered  a  fine  drink;  before  handing  the 
cup  to  me  the  man  took  a  drink  out  of  it.  This  was 
too  much,  so  I  said  I  did  not  wish  any.  All  this  was 
done  in  kindness,  only  showing  the  lack  of  knowledge. 
The  black  coffee  and  tortillas  were  also  part  of  each 
meal. 

"  I  decided  to  cook  for  myself,  and  rented  of  them 
two  rooms,  one  to  live  in,  the  other  for  the  school,  and 
remained  in  that  house  three  years.  In  visiting  the 
families  the  first  time,  I  found  them  anxious  for  the 
change  from  a  Mexican  to  an  English  teacher  in  order 
to  study  the  language.  The  school  then  became  over- 
crowded with  pupils,  and  it  was  impossible  to  hear 
every  one  recite  in  one  day,  as  no  two  were  studying 
from  the  same  book,  and  each  one  must  recite  sepa- 
rately except  the  chart  class." 

The  work  at  Embudo  is  typical  of  the  work  that  has 


66  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

gone  on  in  the  pla^a  schools.  The  rooms  engaged  by 
the  teacher  gave  way  to  a  tiny  adobe  church  building 
for  the  school,  while  she  continued  to  live  in  a  native 
adobe  house  whose  mud  roof  was  no  protection  from 
the  rain.  The  church,  in  turn,  was  abandoned  for  an 
attractive  modern  schoolhouse  containing  two  large 
rooms  which  accommodate  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pupils ;  next  the  school  is  a  five  room  home  for 
the  teachers,  and  nearby  a  small  hospital  building. 
The  interesting  thing  about  these  new  buildings  is  that 
the  people  brought  the  rock  and  sand  required  for  their 
construction,  and  men  and  women  worked  valiantly  to 
provide  the  new  school  for  their  children.  They 
gather  in  the  home  for  social  meetings  and  sewing 
classes,  while  the  school  is  opened  for  entertainments. 

While  the  pla:^a  school  is  an  inspiration  and  a  lesson 
to  the  homes,  teachers  find  the  needs  of  individual  boys 
and  girls  are  better  met  in  the  boarding  school.  There 
are  several  very  fine  boarding  schools  conducted 
by  Methodists,  Congregationalists,  and  Presbyterians. 
Here  the  teachers  are  able  to  counteract  the  unfortu- 
nate moral  influences  by  which  the  boys  and  girls  have 
been  surrounded,  as  well  as  to  hold  them  for  a  regu- 
lar attendance,  a  thing  most  difficult  to  secure  in  day 
schools.  The  Rio  Grande  Industrial  School  and  the 
Menaul  School  at  Albuquerque  have  done  a  remarkable 
work  for  boys,  while  the  Rio  Grande  Industrial  and 
Harwood  at  Albuquerque,  the  Forsythe  Memorial  and 
De  Pauw  at  Los  Angeles,  the  Mary  J.  Piatt  at  Tucson, 
and  Allison-James  at  Santa  Fe  care  for  the  girls. 
Holding  Institute  at   Laredo,  Texas,   is  the   largest 


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REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         67 

Church  boarding  school  in  the  Southwest.  The  pupils 
in  these  schools  are  trained  for  all  kinds  of  work  — 
the  most  important  being  that  which  will  prepare  them 
to  be  good  home  makers. 

Art  outline  of  the  schedule  at  Rio  Grande  will  show 
what  active  places  these  boarding  schools  are.  The 
rising  bell  rings  at  5  130  each  morning,  and  the  older 
boys  hurry  to  the  bam  and  dairy  house  to  attend  to 
their  chores.  The  girls,  under  the  direction  of  one  of 
the  teachers,  begin  the  preparation  of  breakfast,  dust- 
ing and  cleaning.  Breakfast  comes  at  6:45  and  at  its 
end  every  one  goes  to  some  regular  task, —  housework, 
laundrywork,  or  farming ;  each  one  knows  his  duty  and 
attends  to  it.  This  is  followed  by  work  in  the  school- 
room or  some  industrial  work,  which  is  continued  until 
the  bell  rings  for  dinner.  After  dinner  has  been  served 
and  the  dishes  washed,  all  return  to  the  school  rooms 
until  four  o'clock.  Then  follows  an  hour's  intermis- 
sion for  play  and  at  five  the  chores  and  kitchen  work 
claim  the  attention  of  certain  pupils.  The  boys  wash 
dishes  after  supper,  and  at  7  :i5  the  entire  school  family 
assembles  for  the  chapel  service,  followed  by  a  study 
hour  and  nine  o'clock  retiring  bell. 

Schools  necessarily  vary  a  little,  but  everywhere  they 
are  found  training  boys  and  girls  for  useful  lives. 
They  learn  to  wash  and  iron,  bake  and  clean,  as  well  as 
to  read  and  write.  They  enter  with  enthusiasm  into 
baseball,  tennis,  and  other  sports.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  that  where  new  buildings  are  added  to  the  school 
equipment,  whenever  it  is  possible  the  labor  of  the  boys 
is  utilized.     Both  Menaul  and  the  Rio  Grande  Indus- 


68  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA     • 

trial  have  proved  that  their  pupils  have  been  trained 
for  practical  work.  The  Bible  is  a  most  important 
text  book  in  the  boarding  as  well  as  in  the  day  schools, 
and  aside  from  the  purely  religious  education  pupils 
acquire  habits  of  refinement  and  cleanliness  that  they 
could  hardly  gain  anywhere  but  in  the  boarding  school. 
These  schools  have  given  new  life  to  the  boys  and  girls 
who  have  been  privileged  to  attend  them.  What  of 
the  thousands  who  have  had  no  touch  of  their  wonder- 
ful influence? 

Medical  Work. —  Nowhere  is  there  greater  need  of 
medical  missions,  and  nowhere  has  less  been  done 
along  the  line  of  medical  work  than  in  the  Southwest. 
A  few  notes  from  the  letters  of  teachers  will  show  how 
great  is  the  ignorance  of  the  people  in  caring  for  the 
sick  and  how  much  doctors  and  nurses  are  needed  in 
this  part  of  the  country. 

"  Operations  for  adenoids  or  bad  tonsils  are  practi- 
cally unknown,  though  many  of  the  children  have  ade- 
noids and  diseased  tonsils  of  the  worst  kind." 

"  Treatment  for  weak  eyes  or  ears  is  unknown ; 
special  care  of  the  teeth  or  of  weak  stomachs  is  not 
only  unknown  but  would  bespeak  a  squeamish  fas- 
tidiousness, pardonable  only  in  teachers,  ministers,  and 
other  idle  folk !  " 

"  How  we  need  a  nurse !  The  nearest  doctor  is 
eighteen  miles  away.  We  call  on  the  sick  and  do  what 
we  can,  but  we  cannot  stay  all  the  time  and  they  will 
not  follow  instructions.  Then,  too,  there  is  so  much 
superstition  to  overcome.  Babies  are  wrapped  tightly 
for  a  month  with  no  attempt  at  proper  care.     The 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         69 

mother  must  have  no  bath,  not  even  her  hands  and  face 
washed  nor  her  hair  combed  for  forty  days  after  the 
birth  of  a  child.  It  is  terrible.  As  one  woman  said  to 
me,  *  But  no  one  has  told  us  different  ways.'  A  good 
tactful  nurse  could  do  so  much.  They  might  not  take 
her  advice  at  first,  but  they  do  trust  the  missionaries, 
and  we  can  reach  their  hearts  through  this  kind  of  serv- 
ice. 

"  One  of  our  most  beautiful  children  of  last  year 
died  early  this  fall.  She  was  but  five  years  of  age. 
She  suffered  untold  agony  for  thirteen  days,  with  no 
doctor  to  give  her  any  stimulant  or  opiate  or  even  to 
say  what  ailed  her.'' 

"  Claudia  was  confined  to  her  bed  for  years  and 
years.  No  one  knew  what  was  the  matter.  She  was 
'  just  sick.'  She  did  have  one  bottle  of  patent  medicine, 
or  nearly  a  bottle.  It  was  left  over  when  the  baby 
died  of  whooping  cough.  Claudia  in  her  agony  took 
that;  but,  getting  no  better,  her  people  took  her,  lying 
on  a  blanket  in  bed  in  a  lumber  wagon,  to  consult  the 
most  notorious  witch  of  western  New  Mexico.  It  was 
a  thirty-mile  ride  in  the  lumber  wagon,  and  for  poor 
Claudia,  who  had  not  been  able  to  sit  up  for  a  year, 
proved  a  perilous  trip.  Coming  home  worse  for  the 
journey,  her  people  tried  an  Indian  medicine  man. 
The  witch  and  medicine  man  cost  them  over  thirty  dol- 
lars and,  worst  of  all,  she  grew  more  feeble  every  day. 
Fresh  air,  sunshine,  exercise  (all  abundantly  free  in 
this  land  of  sunshine)  and  nutritious  food,  might  have 
worked  wonders  had  they  known,  but  '  My  people 
perish  for  lack  of  knowledge.'  " 


70  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

Another  teacher  speaks  of  the  epidemic  of  grippe, 
the  great  suffering  and  only  one  small  room  for  sick 
and  well,  for  cooking,  eating,  and  sleeping.  In  one 
home  where  a  little  child  died  there  were  twenty-eight 
people  as  guests  in  the  small  room  for  a  week.  The 
missionary  insisted  that  the  men  and  boys  sleep  in  the 
school  room. 

One  denomination  has  sent  one  doctor  to  New 
Mexico  and  provided  an  automobile  for  the  long  trips 
through  the  country. 

At  Embudo  a  nurse  has  been  placed  in  charge  of  the 
new  hospital.  The  teachers  do  all  in  their  power  to 
relieve  the  suffering  of  the  people  in  other  stations. 

Social  Work. —  Like  medical  work,  the  social  work 
has  very  slowly  been  recognized  as  a  necessary  ac- 
companiment of  missionary  effort.  The  missionaries 
themselves  have  always  realized  the  need  and  have  pro- 
vided wholesome  diversions  for  the  people  among  whom 
they  have  been,  in  this  way  gaining  the  good  will  of 
whole  communities.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
South  has  been  developing  gospel  settlements  with 
educational  and  social  features  in  different  localities, 
having  deaconesses  and  social  workers  in  charge. 
They  have  opened  three  night  schools  and  at  their 
mission  for  Mexicans  in  Los  Angeles  have  a  nurse  in 
attendance. 

At  Los  Angeles  too  the  Presbyterians,  and  at  El  Paso 
the  Methodists,  conduct  settlement  work  with  gratify- 
ing results.  Women's  Societies  and  Girls'  Clubs  are 
organized.  The  members  are  taught  cooking  and  sew- 
ing, their  own  culinary  products  serving  for  refresh- 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST  71 

ments.  The  workers  introduce  devotional  services,  and 
seek  in  every  way  to  uplift  the  people.  The  houses 
opened  to  mothers  and  children  for  work  and  play  have 
been  a  great  benefit  to  those  who  visit  them. 

Results  of  Missionary  Work 

In  the  Homes. —  It  has  been  said  of  the  girls  of  a 
leading  mission  school  that  no  town  into  which  they 
have  gone  fails  to  show,  even  to  passing  guests,  a  better 
condition  because  of  their  presence.  One  worker  has 
written,  "  As  I  have  journeyed  through  the  southwest,  I 
have  many  times  entered  Mexican  homes  that  had  all 
the  appearance  of  American  homes,  and  when  I  have 
asked  some  of  the  friends  what  has  brought  about  the 
change,  why  they  differ  from  their  neighbors,  I  am  an- 
swered perhaps,  '  Why  the  lady  of  the  house  is  a 
mission  school  graduate,  or  the  head  of  the  family  is  a 
graduate,'  and  frequently  we  find  that  both  husband 
and  wife  are  graduates  of  these  Christian  schools.  In 
Las  Placitas,  there  was,  years  ago,  a  mission  school, 
but  it  has  been  closed  about  eleven  years.  Yet,  when  I 
visited  that  place,  I  found  clean,  stalwart  young  men 
who  acknowledged  that  the  impulse  to  a  clean,  orderly 
life  had  been  given  them  in  that  school,  and  the  fathers 
and  mothers  were  asking  that  it  might  be  reestab- 
lished." 

Testimony  of  Roman  Catholics. — "  I  am  obliged  to 
oppose  your  schools;  my  bishop  demands  it.  At  the 
same  time  I  reahze  that  they  are  doing  good  work  for 
my  people ;  and  if  I  were  a  man  of  family,  living  in  one 
of  these  Mexican  towns,  I  should  wish  to  send  my  chil- 


^2  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

dren  to  your  schools."  These  words  were  spoken  by  a 
priest. 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  mission  school  graduates  an 
address  was  made  by  one  of  the  county  superintend- 
ents. He  stated  that  of  the  forty-two  teachers  in  his 
county  thirty-six  were  graduates  of  Protestant  schools. 
He  said  that  he  was  a  Catholic  and  had  been  called  to 
account  by  those  in  authority  in  the  church  for  employ- 
ing so  many  Protestants,  but  he  secured  always  the 
best  teachers  he  could  find.  It  was  said  that  the  Arch- 
bishop declared  that  the  greatest  menace  to  the  Catholic 
Church  in  New  Mexico  was  the  Protestant  mission 
schools.  He  said :  "  They  are  actually  making  good 
citizens  out  of  the  Mexican  people." 

When  money  was  raised  for  a  hospital  in  connection 
with  one  of  the  Protestant  mission  schools  $130  came 
from  patrons  of  the  school,  secured  by  a  Catholic,  and 
largely  contributed  by  Catholics. 

The  Pupils  Sent  Out. —  As  has  been  previously 
stated,  mission  schools  have  provided  a  large  number 
of  the  missionaries  who  are  working  in  the  Southwest. 
Graduates  of  every  school  are  filling  positions  of  trust. 
One  principal  has  given  statistics  regarding  his  own 
school  which  are  characteristic  of  all  mission  schools: 
"  Fifteen  of  our  graduates  are  Home  Missionaries,  all 
but  one  doing  work  in  New  Mexico  or  Arizona  among 
their  native  people ;  seven  graduates  and  many  former 
pupils  are  public  school  teachers,  and  the  work  that 
they  are  doing  is  almost  altogether  for  the  Mexican 
people,  missionary  in  itself  to  a  great  extent.  Some 
of  them  are  yet  in  college  and  some  in  a  theological 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         73 

seminary.  One  is  in  a  medical  school,  and  if  there  is 
need  for  any  class  of  help  for  the  people  it  is  medical 
aid.  He  will  have  one  of  the  broadest  fields  for  use- 
fulness that  can  be  found  anywhere." 

Desire  to  Help  Others. —  The  people  are  not  only 
giving  of  their  choice  youth  for  the  advancement  of 
the  Kingdom,  but  more  and  more  they  show  a  disposi- 
tion to  depend  less  on  mission  funds.  When  they  hear 
of  need  in  other  places  they  are  always  ready  to  con- 
tribute from  their  own  poverty  for  the  benefit  of  others. 

Our  Missionary  Teachers 

From  whatever  point  we  view  missionary  work,  we 
find  the  chief  factor  in  the  betterment  of  the  people  is 
the  missionary  teacher.  Through  perils  of  loneliness, 
through  perils  of  disease,  through  perils  of  opposition, 
through  perils  of  discouragement  and  exhaustion,  she 
continues  her  ministries  to  those  to  whom  she  gives  a 
new  life  perspective  —  new  hopes  and  ambitions  where 
lives  would  otherwise  have  been  hopeless.  When  asked 
if  his  church  carried  on  any  social  work  among  Span- 
ish speaking  peoples,  a  Board  officer  answered  that  the 
day  school  teachers  carry  it  on  to  a  great  extent  and 
"  often  act  as  nurses,  postmistresses,  and  justices  of 
the  peace."  It  is  so  in  every  denomination ;  the  plasa 
teachers  have  learned  to  be  everything  to  all  men. 
During  the  day  they  are  busy  in  school,  but  after  hours 
they  visit  the  homes  sharing  the  sorrows  and  joys  of 
the  people.  They  prescribe  for  the  sick  and  nurse 
them  as  well.  They  help  the  bride  with  her  wedding 
preparations,  and  even  oftener  prepare  the  dead  for 


74  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

burial.  To  old  and  young,  sick  and  well,  they  are 
ministering  angels. 

The  old  monks  brought  the  olive  and  the  date  from 
Mediterranean  regions  to  the  Southwest ;  a  woman  mis- 
sionary from  Brazil  is  credited  with  having  been  re- 
sponsible for  the  development  of  the  orange  industry 
in  California;  the  missionary  of  today  provides  garden 
seeds  and  advises  the  people  in  matters  of  farming. 
There  are  better  vegetables,  better  chickens,  and  better 
eggs  because  of  the  mission  teacher. 

A  woman  who  has  been  almost  twenty-five  years 
(most  of  the  time  alone)  in  one  of  the  plaza  schools, 
recently  reported  for  the  three  midwinter  months  to 
her  Board  as  follows :  *'  Patients  treated,  48 ;  dis- 
pensary visits,  27;  visits,  129;  maternity  case,  i; 
deaths,  o.'*  And  she  is  not  a  trained  nurse;  only  a 
day  school  teacher ! 

A  missionary  pictures  her  experiences  in  these 
words :  "  When  I  returned  after  a  brief  absence  from 
the  plaza  I  was  met  with  the  news  that  one  of  our  men 
who  had  gone  to  Kansas  in  search  of  work  had  come 
home  crazed  and  with  a  burning  fever.  I  found  him 
approaching  the  crisis  of  typhoid.  We  put  him  to  bed 
on  a  mattress  spread  with  wooden  slats,  with  a  coarse 
brown  native  blanket  for  a  sheet.  You  may  ask  why 
I  did  not  supply  this  need.  It  was  due  to  the  fact  that 
nearly  all  my  sheets  had  recently  been  used  for  band- 
ages. Here  he  lay  for  several  weeks  while  the  family 
of  five  ate  and  slept  in  the  same  room.  It  is  little 
wonder  that  two  of  the  children  fell  ill  and  that  the  life 
of  the  youngest  was  sacrificed.     During  this  time  I 


REDEEMING  THE  SOUTHWEST         75 

was  spending  five  hours  a  day  in  the  school  room  while 
doing  what  I  could  morning,  noon  and  evening  for  my 
patients;  for  I  had  another  patient  almost  equally  ill 
who  had  come  sixty  miles  in  order  that  I  might  care 
for  her.  There  is  no  other  mission  station  within 
ninety  miles  of  us  and  a  district  with  a  radius  of 
twenty-five  miles  looks  to  me  for  help.'* 

An  officer  of  one  of  the  Home  Mission  Boards  visited 
the  region  of  New  Mexico,  and  before  returning  home 
made  an  address  in  one  of  the  large  cities  of  the  state. 
He  told  of  a  missionary  he  had  seen  who  had  carried 
on  her  school  work  and  gone  miles  over  the  mountains 
after  school  to  care  for  a  woman  who  was  suffering 
from  a  fearful  sickness.  When  the  speaker  finished 
three  women  came  to  him,  each  saying,  "  I  know  about 

whom  you  were  talking.     It  was  Miss ,"  and  each 

woman  mentioned  the  name  of  a  different  missionary ! 

It  is  not  the  exceptional  teacher  who  is  doing  this 
remarkable  work  in  the  Southwest.  The  service  has 
developed  a  wonderful  type  of  self-sacrificing,  noble 
women  who  learn  to  laugh  and  to  weep,  to  vaccinate,  to 
bind  up  wounds,  and  to  soothe  those  suffering  from 
fever.  They  are  a  group  of  women  of  whom  the 
Protestant  Church  is  rightly  proud. 

Is  THE  Work  Worth  WniLEf 

When  one  of  the  early  missionaries  went  to  the 
Southwest,  a  priest  told  him  it  was  useless  to  try  to 
help  the  ignorant  people.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church 
had  been  at  work  for  300  years,  he  said,  and  the  peo- 
ple were  so  degraded  they  had  not  improved  in  the 


76  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

slightest  degree.  The  answer  of  the  missionary  was 
that  when  the  Protestant  Church  had  labored  for  as 
many  years  with  as  little  result,  it  would  be  time  to 
consider  withdrawing.  It  is  less  than  seventy  years 
since  the  first  Protestant  missionary  entered  New 
Mexico.  Education  has  made  great  advances,  the 
moral  and  physical  condition  of  the  people  has  im- 
proved, there  are  many  homes  where  there  were  only 
dwelHng  places,  and,  best  of  all,  thousands  who  would 
not  have  known  the  Saviour  have  been  brought  to  Him, 
and  reverently  acknowledge  Him  to  be  their  only 
Lord  and  King. 


IV 
CUBA  PARA  CRISTO 


"This  is  the  most  beautiful  land  eyes  ever  beheld;  one 
could  live  here  forever." 

From  the  diary  of  Christopher  Columbus. 

"  The  future  of  Cuba  is  unalterably  bound  up  with  that  of 
the  United  States.  We  have  made  ourselves  responsible  in 
the  eyes  of  the  world  for  her  political  destiny,  and  the  Chris- 
tian people  of  America,  whether  they  would  or  not,  are  re- 
sponsible in  the  eyes  of  God  for  the  spiritual  destiny  of  the 
Cubans.  No  earnest  servant  of  the  Master  will  deny  this 
solemn  obligation  of  American  Christians  to  this  needy  people, 
who  have  suffered  not  only  from  the  tyranny  and  oppression 
of  Spain,  but  also  and  equally  from  the  blighting  effects  of 
four  centuries  of  Roman  domination  and  oppression." 

—  Rev.  H.  R.  Moseley,  D.D. 


IV 
CUBA  PARA  CRISTO 

Three  Glimpses  of  Cuban  History 

The  Days  of  Splendor. —  Poor  Dona  Isabella  looked 
sadly  towards  the  west  from  the  parapets  of  Havana; 
she  had  been  watching  thus  for  weeks  and  months. 
She  had  learned  to  hate  beautiful  Cuba.  How  much 
she  wished  she  had  tried  to  persuade  her  brilliant  Gov- 
ernor to  be  satisfied  with  the  wealth  he  had  gained  in 
Peru  and  to  settle  in  far  away  Spain !  She  thought 
of  her  childhood  days,  of  the  stories  she  had  heard  of 
the  western  land  that  had  been  discovered  a  few  years 
before  by  the  Admiral  Christopher  Columbus.  She  re- 
membered that  he  had  called  it  a  wonderfully  beauti- 
ful land,  and  that  it  was  not  until  after  the  Admiral's 
death  that  people  knew  it  was  but  an  island.  All  her 
life  Dofia  Isabella  had  heard  that  this  knight  and  that 
lord  were  going  to  or  coming  from  the  New  World. 
Sometimes  she  had  wished  she  were  a  man  that  she 
might  join  one  of  the  expeditions,  and  she  had  been 
sure  she  would  have  come  home  weighted  down  with 
the  gold  and  treasures  of  the  New  World,  not  impov- 
erished as  so  many  had  returned.  She  wept  as  she 
thought  of  what  had  happened  when  her  girlhood  was 

79 


8o  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

over  and  she  had  just  entered  upon  womanhood. 
There  was  a  youth  of  noble  but  poor  family,  Hernando 
de  Soto,  who  had  gone  out  with  Pizarro,  and  who  on 
his  return  had  been  received  with  great  honor  by  the 
King,  both  because  of  his  great  wealth  and  because  of 
his  brave  record  in  Peru.  When  he  had  asked  to 
marry  her,  although  a  daughter  of  one  of  the  noblest 
families  of  Spain,  she  had  willingly  agreed  to  be  his 
bride  and  go  with  him  to  the  unknown  New  World. 
Men  sold  all  their  possessions  in  order  to  equip  them- 
selves suitably  to  join  de  Soto,  and  a  brilliant  gathering 
of  the  flower  of  the  nobility  sailed  in  1539  for  Cuba, 
the  island  where  they  were  to  prepare  for  their  further 
expedition  to  Florida.  Dona  Isabella  remembered  the 
voyage,  the  music  and  dancing  and  feasting  on  ship 
board.  She  recalled  her  arrival  and  how  she  had  said 
it  was  truly  the  most  beautiful  of  lands.  It  all  seemed 
so  many  years  ago,  and  it  was  not  yet  quite  three. 
There  had  followed  the  joy  of  being  wife  of  the  Gov- 
ernor, the  year  of  splendor  while  ships  were  prepared 
for  the  expedition  to  Florida.  De  Soto  was  to  be  ruler 
there  and  she  was  to  live  like  a  queen.  The  boats  made 
ready  and  the  expedition  started,  but  it  was  not  as  ex- 
citing as  when  she  had  left  Spain.  Then  she  had  been 
one  of  those  to  go,  and  now  she  had  seen  the  one  she 
loved  go  from  her.  She  had  borne  the  parting  bravely, 
and,  with  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  had  ruled  the  use- 
less people  of  Cuba.  She  had  waited  until  the  boats 
returned,  bringing  her  messages  from  the  one  who  was 
cruel  to  others  but  good  to  her.  She  looked  with  joy 
upon  the  Indian  maidens  he  had  sent  to  be  her  slaves, 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  8i 

in  promise  of  the  power  that  was  to  be  hers  in  the  fu- 
ture; she  never  thought  that  they  might  be  missing 
friends,  as  she  missed  the  Governor.  She  never  could 
have  tiiought  that,  for  they  were  not  Hke  her  —  they 
were  slaves  and  had  no  feelings.  And  now  almost  two 
years  had  gone  since  the  ships  had  brought  them  to 
her  and  there  had  been  no  second  word  from  the  Gov- 
ernor. She  had  watched  and  waited  until  it  seemed 
that  she  could  endure  it  no  longer. 

A  message  reached  Dona  Isabella  at  last.  Her  ad- 
venturous husband  had  perished  and  was  sleeping  be- 
neath the  waters  of  the  great  river  he  had  discovered. 
Doiia  Isabella  had  waited  long  enough.  Broken 
hearted,  she  soon  died  and  Cuba  was  in  the  power  of  a 
new  governor,  who  drew  from  his  poor  subjects  their 
very  life  blood  in  order  to  gain  for  himself  and  his 
King  the  wealth  that  was  their  greatest  desire. 

The  Ten  Years'  War. —  Cuba  endured  the  tyranny 
of  the  early  governors  only  to  find  that  each  succeed- 
ing ruler  was  more  inhuman  than  his  predecessor,  un- 
til the  Indian  element  had  almost  disappeared  from  the 
population.  The  people  submitted  in  silence  during 
the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries,  but  in  the 
eighteenth  century  the  oppression  of  the  Spanish  con- 
querors at  last  roused  them  and  led  them  to  revolt. 
There  were  many  vain  attempts  to  throw  off  the  yoke, 
but  Spain,  unwilling  to  lose  a  possession  that  paid  her 
so  rich  a  tribute  as  did  Cuba,  multiplied  her  soldiers  on 
the  island.  From  twenty  to  forty  million  dollars  a 
year  went  to  the  mother  country  from  her  despised 
dependency.     No  wonder  that  the  people  of  Cuba  were 


82  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

discontented  and  in  a  state  of  unrest!  When  a  dele- 
gation of  Cubans  went  to  Spain,  asking  that  their  griev- 
ances be  heard,  the  royal  commission  listened  to  them 
but  paid  no  attention  to  their  requests.  The  Cubans 
were  aroused  at  the  indifference  of  the  Spaniards,  and 
when  Cespedes  came  forward  to  lead  them  in  1868  they 
were  ready  to  begin  the  guerrilla  war  which  lasted  for 
ten  long  years.  The  island  was  ravaged  from  end  to 
end  and  was  finally  forced  to  secure  peace  by  the  treaty 
of  Zanjon.  Important  reforms  were  promised  but 
never  fulfilled,  and  Spain  remained  in  control  of  an 
island  whose  inhabitants  were  waiting  for  the  oppor- 
tunity to  break  out  against  her  power,  and  to  drive 
her  from  their  borders. 

Cuba  Libre. —  The  failure  of  Spain  to  live  up  to  the 
terms  of  the  Treaty  of  Zanjon  finally  resulted  in  the 
most  formidable  of  the  revolutions  that  swept  over 
Cuba.  Gomez,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Ten  Years' 
War,  was  living  in  San  Domingo  in  1895,  where  he 
was  joined  by  Jose  Marti,  who  had  been  prevented  by 
the  United  States  authorities  from  starting  an  expedi- 
tion to  Cuba  from  Florida.  With  a  small  force  of 
men  they  landed  on  the  island  and  raised  the  flag  of  the 
Cuban  Republic. 

They  enlisted  their  countrymen  in  a  struggle  for  in- 
dependence in  which  the  undrilled  men  were  opposed 
by  the  trained  soldiers  of  Spain  under  the  notorious 
"  Butcher "  Weyler.  The  rebellion  extended  and 
Weyler  was  succeeded  by  Blanco,  who  remained  in 
charge  of  the  army  until  the  destruction  of  the  battle- 
ship Maine  in  Havana  harbor  drew  the  United  States 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  83 

into  the  war.  United  States  troops  were  landed  on  the 
island  and  by  August,  1898,  Spain  was  wilHng  to  ac- 
knowledge her  defeat.  By  the  treaty  of  Paris,  Cuba 
was  declared  free,  the  United  States  assuming  military 
control  until  conditions  in  the  island  warranted  the 
withdrawal  of  her  troops.  In  1902  the  military  gov- 
ernment transferred  its  power  to  the  newly  elected 
president  and  congress  of  Cuba.  In  1906  there  was  an 
unsettled  condition  of  affairs  which  necessitated  a  sec- 
ond intervention  of  the  United  States  in  Cuba,  but  the 
former  restlessness  seems  now  to  have  subsided  and 
for  the  past  eight  years  the  people  of  the  island  have 
been  able  to  control  their  affairs  without  disorder. 
The  general  impression  of  the  nations  of  the  world  was 
that  when  the  United  States  once  had  her  troops  on  the 
island  of  Cuba  she  would  never  withdraw,  but  this 
country  has  been  able  to  prove  to  the  world  that  her  in- 
terest is  not  a  selfish  one,  and  that  while  Porto  Rico  is 
a  possession  of  this  country,  the  relation  to  Cuba  re- 
mains that  of  a  protector.  If  the  Cubans  need  the 
help  of  the  United  States  it  will  be  given  them,  but 
while  they  are  able  to  govern  themselves  it  is  against 
the  policy  of  this  government  to  interfere. 

A  partial,  though  we  believe  temporary,  alienation  of 
the  Cubans,  caused  partly  by  a  misunderstanding  as  to 
the  motives  of  the  United  States,  partly  by  the  mis- 
representations of  interested  agitators,  partly  by  un- 
wise tariff  laws  enacted  by  Congress  and  possibly,  in 
part,  by  the  activity  of  the  priesthood,  has  at  times 
greatly  hampered  the  work  of  physical,  social,  and 
moral  regeneration.     Cubans  are  exceedingly  jealous 


84  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

of  their  rights,  and  it  would  appear  to  an  unbiased  ob- 
server that  Congress  has  not  always  scrupulously  re- 
spected the  rights  or  the  feelings  of  a  sensitive  people. 
Even  after  these  years  of  helpfulness  on  the  part  of 
the  United  States,  many  Cubans  are  still  suspicious  of 
her  ultimate  design  in  exercising  a  protectorate. 

It  may  be  that  eventually  Cuba  will  find  peace  and 
safety  under  the  American  flag;  but  if  that  day  ever 
comes,  it  should  be  on  the  initiative  and  with  the  hearty 
consent  of  the  whole  people  of  the  island.  Otherwise 
Cuba  must  remain  independent,  for  its  strategic  impor- 
tance is  so  great  to  the  United  States,  guarding  as  it 
does,  with  Porto  Rico,  the  approaches  to  the  Panama 
Canal,  that  it  could  never  be  permitted  to  pass  under 
the  control  of  any  European  power. 

Cuba  of  Today 

Geography  and  Climate. —  It  is  hard  to  realize  that 
this  island  which  does  not  belong  to  us  is  far  nearer  our 
shores  than  the  one  that  does;  it  takes  but  five  hours 
to  reach  Cuba  from  Key  West  while  Porto  Rico  is  far 
beyond  Cuba.  The  shape  of  Cuba  has  been  compared 
to  that  of  an  alligator.  If  placed  on  a  map  of  the 
United  States,  Cuba  would  extend  from  New  York  to 
Indianapolis,  and  its  territory  is  about  equal  to  that 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  The  rough  mountains 
the  fertile  plains  and  valleys  make  Cuba  a  very  attrac- 
tive island;  it  is  rich  in  its  forests,  and  the  cultivated 
areas  yield  freely.  The  Spaniards  realized  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  island  and  profited  from  its  cultivation; 
since  Cuba  has  become  independent  her  industries  and 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  85 

commerce  have  developed  marvellously,  her  foreign 
trade  now  amounting  to  some  $300,000,000  a  year. 
One  crossing  the  island  beholds  the  constant  contrast 
of  roughly  cleared  forest  tracts,  beautiful  forests,  and 
newly  planted  orange  groves,  with  the  settlers'  cabins. 
The  eastern  part  of  Cuba  is  very  mountainous,  and  the 
western  low.  The  central  part  of  the  island  contains 
the  most  fertile  land,  and  is  the  region  where  sugar 
and  tobacco  are  grown  to  the  greatest  extent. 

The  climate  of  Cuba  is  claimed  to  be  ideal  by  those 
who  visit  her  shores;  there  are  few  extremes  of  heat 
and  cold.  Though  the  thermometer  sometimes  reaches 
94  degrees  Fahrenheit,  there  is  a  breeze  from  the  ocean 
to  freshen  the  air  and  people  comfort  themselves  with 
the  thought  that  they  are  in  the  second  healthiest  coun- 
try in  the  world,  Australia  being  the  only  one  that  sur- 
passes Cuba. 

Who  Are  the  Cubans  of  Today?  —  The  Indian 
blood  does  not  strongly  predominate  in  Cuba  and  Porto 
Rico  as  it  does  in  Mexico.  Porto  Rico  was  almost 
depopulated  by  the  extinction  of  the  natives  and  the 
dissensions  of  the  Spaniards,  and  for  two  hundred 
years  the  increase  in  population  was  exceedingly  slow. 
The  extermination  of  the  natives  left  Cuba  for  genera- 
tions peopled  chiefly  by  Creoles  —  the  children  of 
Spaniards  bom  in  the  island  —  and  by  Negro  slaves. 
Many  Cubans  at  the  present  time  will  not  allow  that 
any  have  a  right  to  be  so  called  unless  they  are  de- 
scended from  the  Creole  class.  The  other  races  were 
either  pure  Chinese  and  pure  Negroes  or  else  a  mixture 
called   "  Mulattoes.'*     These  last  are   considered   the 


86  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

most  turbulent  and  insubordinate  of  all,  and  formed  the 
revolutionary  element  that  caused  the  second  American 
occupation. 

The  census  of  1907  gave  the  total  population  of 
Cuba  as  2,048,980.  Of  these  there  were  of  the  Cubans 
1,224,539.  Of  the  remainder  of  the  population  185,000 
were  Spaniards,  6,713  Americans,  274,272  Negroes, 
11,837  Chinese  and  334,695  of  the  mixed  races. 

Cuban  Character. —  It  is  not  just  to  judge  the  Cuban 
by  our  American  standards.  Race,  environment,  edu- 
cation, religion,  opportunities  and  possibilities  of  de- 
velopment, must  all  be  taken  into  consideration  in  our 
estimate  of  him  both  in  the  present  and  the  future  — 
for  he  is  both  present  and  future.  Four  hundred 
years  of  misrule,  enforced  ignorance,  and  wrong  re- 
ligious teaching,  have  left  their  impress.  Denied  lib- 
erty of  expression,  there  was  little  to  develop  a  thinking 
people.  Surrender  of  conscience  to  the  priesthood  will 
invariably  undermine  personal  morals.  A  reverence 
for  things  because  they  are  old  will  paralyze  progress. 

Howard  B.  Grose  ("  Advance  in  the  Antilles  "),  por- 
trays Cuba  as  she  has  been  formed  through  the  four 
hundred  years  of  Roman  Catholic  domination  as  fol- 
lows :  " '  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them,'  said 
Jesus.  The  Roman  Catholics  can  hardly  declare  it  un- 
just to  apply  this  principle  of  the  Saviour  to  the  product 
of  their  Church  in  Cuba.  If,  after  centuries  of  com- 
plete domination  over  the  lives  and  government  of  a 
people,  we  find  an  appalling  absence  of  moral  and  eth- 
ical standards,  of  educational  institutions,  of  national 
and  individual  ideals,  of  honesty  and  chastity,  of  chiv- 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  87 

airy  and  conscience,  what  shall  be  said  of  the  sins  of 
omission  and  commission  of  the  Church  under  whose 
instruction  and  dictation  this  came  to  be?  And  when 
you  discover  that  in  all  the  years  of  corruption  and  op- 
pression the  Church  never  raised  its  voice  for  relief 
even,  not  to  say  release  or  liberty ;  when  you  find  that 
the  Church  had  no  protest  against  the  cruel  forms 
of  sport  such  as  the  bull-fight  and  the  cocking-main, 
or  against  the  spread  of  gambling  among  all  classes 
through  government  lottery;  when  you  learn  that  the 
priesthood  was  shamelessly  and  openly  corrupt,  so  that 
it  became  itself  a  source  of  moral  rottenness,  according 
to  the  confession  of  some  of  its  own  members,  and  de- 
served the  contempt  it  inspired  in  the  best  men ;  when 
you  know  that  through  the  greed  of  this  Church  the 
masses  of  the  people  were  practically  forced  into  fami- 
lies not  bound  by  legal  or  Church  ceremonial;  when 
you  read  the  long  and  terrible  chapters  of  illiteracy, 
of  intellectual  repression,  of  foolish  superstitions,  of 
infamous  impositions  in  the  name  of  religion  upon 
a  hopelessly  chained  people  —  it  is  not  unjust  to  apply 
the  Master's  test." 

Amid  such  surroundings  and  under  such  influences 
was  formed  and  developed  the  character  of  the  Cuban 
people.  Conceding  that  they  are  lacking  in  some  of 
the  qualities  we  deem  essential  for  the  highest  civiliza- 
tion, we  should  ask  if  we  would  be  better  under  like 
conditions.  The  Cuban  or  Porto  Rican  at  the  worst 
has  not  been  much  worse  than  was  the  Scot  when  John 
Knox  worked  into  the  national  life,  through  the  school 
and  the  Word  of  God,  the  spirit  of  his  prayer,  "  O 


88  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

God,  give  me  Scotland  or  I  die ! "    What  the  Gospel 
did  for  Scotland  it  will  do  for  Cuba. 

Internal  Improvements  Begun  by  the  United  States. 
The  first  work  undertaken  by  the  United  States 
after  it  organized  the  military  government  of  Cuba 
was  the  cleaning  up  of  the  cities.  Sanitation  was  so 
thoroughly  revolutionized  that  the  cities  became  models 
of  cleanliness.  Splendid  roads  were  built,  cockfighting 
and  gambling  prohibited,  streets  were  repaved,  and  a 
public  school  system  established.  Today  Cuba  is 
changing  rapidly.  The  old  and  the  new  are  found  side 
by  side,  but  the  old  is  being  fast  abandoned  for  the 
new.  Each  town  gives  evidence  of  its  progressive- 
ness  in  new  buildings,  cement  sidewalks,  well  built 
roads,  its  improved  park  and  market.  Sugar  cane  is 
hauled  by  ox  team  to  the  mill,  where  the  process  of 
transforming  the  cane  to  sugar  is  carried  on  by  elec- 
tricity. Sometimes  families  travel  on  horseback  and 
on  foot;  sometimes  they  use  the  automobile  or  the 
trolley  or  steam  cars  that  have  been  introduced. 

Under  the  Cuban  government  cockfighting,  the  lot- 
tery, and  other  forms  of  gambHng  th^t  were  prohibited 
by  the  United  States  were  reinstated,  and  are  now  pro- 
tected by  law.  In  Havana,  a  beautiful  city  in  which 
both  the  old  and  the  new  influences  are  conspicuous  in 
the  architecture,  the  Cuban  National  Lottery  is  car- 
ried on.  Everyone  buys  tickets,  the  government  re- 
taining thirty  per  cent  of  the  money  received,  the  rest 
going  in  prizes.  This  lottery,  run  by  the  government, 
has  made  the  Cubans  a  nation  of  gamblers.  Cock- 
fighting  is  restricted  to  Sundays  and  holidays. 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  89 

Beside  the  roads  built  under  the  United  States  mili- 
tary government,  railroads,  telegraphs,  telephones,  and 
all  kinds  of  electrical  appliances  have  been  introduced. 
The  value  of  real  estate  is  constantly  increasing;  irri- 
gation has  made  once  useless  land  productive  so  that 
Cuba  is  in  a  very  prosperous  condition. 

Education  in  Cuba. —  The  United  States  began  the 
organizing  of  public  schools  in  Cuba.  Before  the  pro- 
visional government  was  established  by  this  country 
very  few  efforts  had  been  made  to  educate  the  people. 
There  had  been  some  private  schools  for  boys  and  girls, 
but  even  these  were  of  a  very  poor  type,  and  the  gen- 
eral sentiment  was  against  educating  the  poor.  Not 
more  than  one  child  in  thirty  attended  school.  Chil- 
dren of  the  wealthy  classes  left  the  island,  some  going 
to  Europe,  some  coming  to  the  United  States  to  study. 
The  provisional  government  established  schools  in  most 
of  the  towns  of  Cuba,  expended  ten  millions  of  dollars 
for  buildings  and  equipment,  sent  several  hundred 
Cuban  teachers  to  this  country  for  greater  preparation 
—  in  fact  gave  an  educational  impulse  which  it  is  hoped 
will  always  be  felt  on  the  island.  The  Cuban  govern- 
ment has  continued  the  educational  work  instituted  by 
our  government  and  the  island  has  a  large  number  of 
schools,  but  unfortunately  the  Cuban  government  has 
shown  no  desire  to  improve  the  school  buildings,  which 
compare  unfavorably  with  those  of  Porto  Rico. 

A  recent  visitor  to  Cuba  remarked :  *'  I  have  fre- 
quently made  the  statement  that  while  I  bowed  my 
way  in  and  bowed  my  way  out  of  numerous  public 
schools  in  Cuba,  I  did  not  see  any  school  work,  as  both 


90  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

pupils  and  teachers  are  too  polite  in  Cuba  to  work 
while  they  have  visitors." 

Elementary  work  is  carried  on  in  these  schools,  un- 
fortunately ending  in  most  cases  with  the  fifth  grade; 
some  schools  carry  the  work  to  the  seventh  grade,  and 
their  graduates  are  eligible  to  take  the  examinations 
for  the  government  provincial  institutes,  of  which 
there  is  one  in  each  of  the  six  provinces.  The  insti- 
tutes carry  work  a  little  farther  in  some  subjects  than 
our  high  schools,  giving  the  B.A.  degree  at  the  com- 
pletion of  the  course.  Graduates  of  the  institutes,  in 
turn,  may  enter  the  University  of  Cuba  at  Havana. 
It  is  unfortunate  for  the  people  that  the  grade  of  pubHc 
schools  is  usually  so  low;  another  unfortunate  thing 
is  that  there  are  no  government  normal  schools  to 
train  teachers.  This  must  usually  result  in  poor  teach- 
ing, and  it  makes  very  desirable  the  opportunity  given 
to  people  in  some  parts  of  the  island  to  place  their  chil- 
dren in  the  high  grade  mission  schools. 

Religious  Work  in  Cuba 

Intolerance  of  Spain. —  The  religious  intolerance 
that  has  been  encountered  in  all  Spanish  speaking  peo- 
ples was  particularly  active  in  Cuba.  A  number  of 
English  speaking  people  living  in  Havana  about  1870 
wished  to  organize  a  church.  They  were  refused  per- 
mission to  hold  public  services,  and  met  in  private. 
Bishop  Whipple  of  the  Episcopal  Church  visited  the  is- 
land in  1 87 1,  and,  the  people  being  again  refused  per- 
mission to  hold  public  service,  he  accepted  the  invita- 
tion of  the  officers  of  an  American  man-of-war  that 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  91 

was  in  the  harbor,  and  the  Sacrament  of  the  Com- 
munion was  celebrated  on  the  vessel.  Bishop  Whipple 
interested  his  church  people  on  his  return  to  the  United 
States,  and  a  clergyman  was  sent  to  minister  to  the 
English  speaking  residents  of  Havana.  Services  were 
held  in  one  of  the  hotels  on  Sundays,  the  missionary 
spending  his  time  during  the  week  ministering  to  all 
the  people  he  could  reach,  whether  Spanish  or  Eng- 
lish. Many  Cubans,  driven  out  of  the  island  as  exiles 
following  the  civil  war,  came  into  contact  with  Prot- 
estantism in  the  United  States  and  accepted  it.  About 
the  same  time  the  American  Bible  Society  began  to 
circulate  the  Bible  in  Cuba,  scattering  the  Word  among 
a  few  of  the  people.  The  work  grew  quietly  in  spite 
of  the  opposition  of  the  authorities,  and  an  appeal  to 
the  Spanish  government,  following  the  refusal  of  local 
authorities,  resulted  in  a  royal  decree  affirming  the 
principle  of  religious  freedom.  Opposition  continued, 
but  the  Episcopal  Church  took  advantage  of  the  royal 
decree,  and  built  its  first  church  in  Mantazas  in  1887. 
In  1883  the  Southern  Baptist  Church  had  begun  work 
in  Havana,  continuing  it  until  the  coming  of  others  to 
the  same  field  in  1899. 

February  17,  1898,  after  the  terrible  disaster  of  the 
Maine,  Captain  Sigsbee  asked  permission  to  read  the 
Protestant  burial  service  over  the  bodies  of  the  first 
victims  that  were  found.  Permission  was  denied  him, 
and  in  the  carriage,  and  in  his  room,  he  read  portions 
of  the  service. 

One  of  the  first  steps  of  the  United  States  in  Cuba 
was  to  issue  a  bill  of  rights,  and  the  second  guarantee 


92  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

made  by  this  bill  was  "  freedom  of  worship  according 
to  individual  conscience."  The  fact  that  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  was  in  such  close  touch  with  the  hated 
Spain  loosened  the  hold  of  the  priests  over  the  people, 
but  nevertheless  they  met  the  coming  of  Protestant 
missionaries  with  opposition.  The  hostility  of  the 
Roman  Church,  manifest  in  our  own  Southwest,  was 
repeated  in  Cuba. 

Evangelistic  Work. —  The  attitude  of  the  civil 
authorities  during  the  Cuban  war  of  independence  made 
it  necessary  for  the  missionaries  under  the  Episcopal 
Church  to  withdraw  from  the  island,  but  they  returned 
as  soon  as  the  Spanish  power  was  broken.  At  this 
time  other  denominations  realized  their  responsibility 
for  this  neighboring  island,  and  a  number  of  mission- 
aries were  soon  on  the  field.  They  have  found  three 
important  types  of  work  to  be  done  in  Cuba:  that 
among  the  native  Cubans,  among  the  Jamaica  negroes, 
and  among  Americans  residing  in  Cuba. 

The  first  missionaries  were  delighted  with  the  way 
in  which  people  thronged  to  their  services.  Even  in 
pleasure-loving  Havana  they  crowded  the  meetings,  but 
it  was  difficult  to  decide  whether  the  crowds  were 
merely  idly  curious,  or  whether  they  were  hungering 
for  the  Gospel.  Dr.  Moseley,  who  opened  the  field 
for  the  Baptists,  said  of  them :  *'  One  of  the  greatest 
difficulties  we  have  to  encounter  is  the  indifference  of 
the  people.  They  are  not  a  serious  people  and  are  in- 
clined to  take  everything  lightly  and  carelessly.  I 
think  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that  Cuba  has  no  re- 
ligion.    Of  course,  the  Romish  Church  is  the  estab- 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  93 

lished  church  of  the  island,  but  its  devotees  are  few  in 
number,  and  while  all  Cubans  are  nominal  Catholics, 
they  do  not  concern  themselves  about  Protestantism  or 
Romanism,  righteousness  or  unrighteousness,  but  pur- 
sue the  even  tenor  of  their  way  gaily,  carelessly,  many 
of  them  going  to  mass  in  the  morning,  on  some  pleas- 
ure excursion  in  the  afternoon  and  to  our  service  at 
night.  Many  of  them  are  willing  to  unite  with  our 
church  without  any  investigation  whatever.  For  that 
very  reason  we  must  go  slowly  and  carefully,  and 
while  candidates  for  church  membership  are  numer- 
ous, we  examine  each  one  privately,  and  then  again 
publicly,  and  receive  only  such  as  give  evidence  of  hav- 
ing been  born  of  God's  Spirit.  And  God  is  giving  His 
Spirit  and  souls  are  being  bom  into  the  Kingdom." 

Most  of  the  people  had  heard  little  preaching,  and  a 
service  in  a  language  they  could  understand  was  in- 
teresting to  them ;  the  hymns  were  a  novelty ;  and  so 
curiosity  was  found  to  be  a  great  motive  in  drawing 
them  together.  When  the  careless  were  satisfied,  the 
attendance  at  the  services  diminished  somewhat,  but 
the  enduring  work  had  begtm.  There  was  little  at- 
tention paid  to  the  Romish  clergy  who  tried  to  keep 
their  followers  away  from  Protestant  churches,  and 
homes  were  opened  hospitably  to  the  missionaries 
where  buildings  were  not  provided. 

When  asked  last  year  if  the  work  in  Cuba  paid,  one 
of  the  missionaries  who  has  been  longest  there  an- 
swered :  "  I  make  bold  to  express  the  doubt  if  any 
field  of  Christian  work  in  Roman  Catholic  countries  has 
yielded  more  visible  or  abundant  fruitage  in  proportion 


94  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

to  the  money  expended  and  the  missionaries  employed 
than  Cuba."  He  spoke  of  the  improvement  in  the 
home  life.  When  Americans  entered  Cuba  there  were 
168,000  people  living  in  unlawful  cohabitation.  To- 
day marriages  are  performed  without  exorbitant  fees, 
and  so  marriages  take  place.  There  are  almost  eleven 
thousand  members  of  Protestant  churches,  and  young 
men  and  women  trained  in  these  churches  are  carry- 
ing the  Gospel  to  their  own  people.  Thousands  of  chil- 
dren gather  each  week  in  the  Sunday  schools,  carry- 
ing to  their  homes  messages  from  the  Word  of  God. 
Every  missionary  feels  that  missions  in  Cuba  pay. 

Many  Jamaica  negroes  have  been  drawn  to  Cuba 
by  the  higher  wages,  and  among  them  have  been  found 
fetish  worshippers.  The  Episcopal  Church  is  trying 
to  reach  this  difficult  part  of  the  population. 

Work  among  our  countrymen  who  have  been  at- 
tracted to  the  island  is  very  necessary.  Some  of  them 
are  of  great  help  to  the  missionary  force,  but  others 
have  retarded  missionary  work.  Freedom  from  the 
restraint  of  home  surroundings,  with  a  yielding  to  the 
carelessness  of  Cuban  life,  has  made  it  particularly 
necessary  that  the  Church  exert  itself  for  these  people, 
for  if  it  fails  to  hold  them,  it  can  not  make  great  prog- 
ress with  the  Cubans. 

Educational  Work. —  Almost  four  thousand  children 
have  been  gathered  into  the  mission  schools  in  Cuba. 
This  number  seems  encouraging  until  we  remember 
that  there  are  about  four  hundred  thousand  children 
of  school  age  in  Cuba.  The  plan  of  education  carried 
out  by  the  government  makes  it  possible  for  those 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  95 

who  live  in  large  places  to  attend  the  higher  schools, 
but  the  majority  of  pupils  complete  only  the  fifth  grade. 
The  public  school  gives  absolutely  no  religious  train- 
ing, and  the  poor  preparation  of  teachers  makes  the 
school  work  of  a  low  standard.  Many  parents  object 
to  the  coeducational  plan  of  the  public  schools,  others 
to  the  mixing  of  white  and  colored  children  in  the 
schools ;  the  result  has  been  that  children  of  the  better 
class  have  been  sent  to  the  parochial  schools  established 
by  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  since  1898,  or  to  private 
schools  that  are  favored  by  the  Church. 

There  is  a  very  great  need  of  mission  schools  all 
over  the  island,  schools  that  will  begin  with  the  kinder- 
garten and  carry  the  average  pupil  through  the  high 
school  grades,  providing  some  means  of  higher  educa- 
tion for  those  who  desire  to  fit  themselves  for  teaching 
or  preaching.  There  are  fifty  day  schools  and  a  few 
boarding  schools  under  the  various  Mission  Boards 
which  are  now  accomplishing  a  splendid  work.  The 
children  began  going  to  these  schools  with  misgivings. 
They  feared  that  the  priest  would  put  them  out  of  the 
church  if  he  knew  what  they  were  doing.  They  tried 
to  avoid  the  religious  services  that  were  a  part  of  the 
daily  routine,  but  little  by  little  they  were  interested 
and  were  won  to  the  truth. 

The  Baptists,  who  carry  on  the  most  extensive  work 
of  any  denomination  in  Cuba,  have  opened  an  educa- 
tional work  of  great  promise  in  El  Cristo,  ten  miles 
north  of  Santiago.  The  site  was  selected  after  care- 
ful deliberation,  and  dormitories  for  boys  and  girls, 
class  room  building,  and  gymnasium  erected.     It  has 


96  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

been  possible  to  do  a  far  more  effective  work  with 
the  pupils  who  have  lived  with  the  teachers,  than  with 
pupils  in  day  schools.  The  Cubans  have  evinced  a 
growing  interest  in  athletics,  and  schools  have  culti- 
vated this  interest  in  honest  sports,  in  order  to  draw 
students  from  the  objectionable  diversions  that  have 
previously  been  offered  them. 

Workers  in  Cuban  schools  have  said  that  the  chil- 
dren are  far  more  difficult  to  deal  with  than  those  in 
Porto  Rico  and  New  Mexico,  for  they  are  very  likely 
to  be  impolite,  impertinent,  talkative,  restless,  and  ex- 
citable. They  seem  to  have  developed  without  restric- 
tions of  any  kind.  In  spite  of  such  disadvantages,  the 
missionary  teachers  in  Cuba  are  doing  a  work  that  has 
already  shown  wonderful  results  in  the  noble  type  of 
young  manhood  and  womanhood  that  has  been  devel- 
oped under  their  inspiring  leadership. 

Cuba  para  Crista. —  Over  three  hundred  delegates, 
representing  the  Christian  Endeavor  Societies  and  Sun- 
day schools  of  Cuba,  met  recently  in  Havana.  The 
watchword  of  the  Convention  was  "  Cuba  para 
Cristo"  (Cuba  for  Christ).  This  is  the  slogan  of 
the  churches  of  Cuba,  and  the  thought  echoes  through 
all  the  gatherings  on  the  island.  A  missionary  says: 
*'  We  have  abundant  reason  to  thank  God,  take  cour- 
age, and  do  more  and  more  for  the  youth  of  Cuba." 

Cubans  in  the  United  States 

Almost  four  centuries  after  de  Soto  left  Cuba,  thou- 
sands of  people  from  the  island  of  which  he  was  gov- 
ernor followed  his  course  to  Florida  and  settled  just 


CUBA  PARA  CRISTO  97 

across  the  bay  from  the  spot  where  he  landed.  They 
did  not  come  with  the  same  purpose  that  influenced 
that  fearless  explorer,  but  because  they  looked  upon 
this  country  as  their  friend  and  wished  the  privileges 
that  life  here  offered  for  their  children. 

At  the  time  of  the  Spanish-American  War  there  was 
a  community  of  some  five  thousand  Cubans  at  Tampa, 
Florida.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South, 
opened  a  school  for  the  children,  which  has  been  main- 
tained to  the  present  time.  Another  school,  primarily 
intended  for  Cubans,  was  opened  by  the  same  church 
at  Key  West.  English  speaking  children  have  taken 
advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  attend  this  school,  and 
today  are  in  the  majority. 

In  a  population  of  10,000  in  West  Tampa  there  are 
but  1,500  Americans.  The  rest  are  almost  entirely 
Cubans,  for  the  most  part  employed  in  cigar  factories. 
A  mission  of  the  Congregational  Church  has  brought 
great  blessing  to  this  city.  In  1905  a  missionary  and 
his  wife  started  work  in  a  rented  house  which  also 
served  as  a  parsonage.  This  building  later  housed  the 
public  school,  and  when  the  school  moved  to  its  own 
building,  the  missionaries  decided  to  open  a  church 
school.  There  has  been  the  gradual  growth  that  at- 
tends consecrated  efforts,  and  today  the  church  has 
six  buildings  in  West  Tampa.  When  children  were 
found  who  were  deserted  and  neglected,  the  mission- 
aries took  them  into  their  own  home.  A  home  for 
boys  and  one  for  girls  were  later  opened  to  meet  the 
needs  of  such  children.  As  the  work  developed  two 
people  could  not  attend  to  all  the  demands  that  were 


98  OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

made  upon  them,  and  a  Cuban  minister  was  called  to 
their  assistance.  There  is  now  a  group  of  six  Ameri- 
can teachers  and  missionaries  who,  with  the  Cuban 
pastor,  carry  on  day  and  night  school,  religious  edu- 
cation in  school  and  Sunday  school,  church  services  in 
English  and  Spanish,  conduct  homes  for  boys  and 
girls,  furnish  play  as  well  as  serious  work  for  the  peo- 
ple, and  serve  as  friends  and  counselors  to  the  many 
who  come  to  them  for  help. 

In  spite  of  the  indifference  and  carelessness  of  many 
of  the  Cubans,  missionaries  have  found  those  in  Cuba 
and  in  the  United  States  a  most  lovable  people.  They 
are  responsive  to  the  message  of  the  Gospel,  and  very 
loyal  as  members  of  the  Church.  It  has  been  worth 
the  sacrifices  to  be  able  to  lead  them  to  a  better  life 
than  they  have  ever  known.  With  better  educational 
facilities,  better  church  buildings  and  equipment,  the 
Protestant  Church  will  be  able  to  extend  its  influence 
and  hasten  the  time  when  the  hope  of  the  people  that 
Cuba  be  Christ's  will  be  fulfilled. 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION 


"  The  Porto  RIcan  of  yesterday  has  a  heavy  bill  of  charges 
to  lay  against  the  Spanish  government  and  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic Church  —  for  it  was  the  Church  and  State  combined  in 
an  unholy  alliance  in  Porto  Rico,  as  in  Cuba,  with  the  heavier 
responsibility  resting  upon  the  Church.  While  there  was  a 
nominal  government  of  fair  form  on  paper,  in  fact  the  rule 
was  a  feudal  despotism,  precisely  as  in  Cuba." 

—  Howard  B.  Grose. 

"  I  have  no  sympathy  with  the  oft  heard  remark  that  we 
can  do  nothing  for  the  present  generation.  Our  crowded 
chapels  and  eager,  anxious  hearers,  belie  the  statement.  Never 
was  it  more  true  in  any  place  or  age  that  the  common  people 
heard  the  Gospel  gladly  than  here  in  all  our  missionary  cen- 
ters. Tired  of  chaff  and  husks,  these  starving  souls  clutch 
greedily  at  the  bread  of  life  and  rejoice  fondly  in  a  new  found 
hope  and  inspiration.  But  still  it  is  true  that  for  the  most 
effective,  rapid,  symmetrical,  and  abiding  transformation  of 
Porto  Rico's  Intellectual,  social,  and  moral  character,  we  must 
look  chiefly  to  the  medical  and  educational  work  of  our 
.Women's  Missionary  Boards." 

— Rev.  J.  Milton  Greene,  D.D. 


V 

OUR  NEW  POSSESSION 

A  BRIGHT  young  girl  was  sent  from  Porto  Rico  to 
New  York  to  be  educated.  Shortly  after  getting  fairly 
settled  in  the  school  she  wrote,  "  Do  you  know  what 
they  call  me  here  ?  *  Our  New  Possession/  "  Two 
years  later  she  said,  "  I  have  become  American  in  all 
my  tastes  and  sympathies,  and  I  do  not  think  I  will 
ever  be  satisfied  to  go  back  to  the  old  life."  Still  later 
she  married  a  fine  young  American,  and  to-day  she  is  a 
happy  American  wife  and  mother.  The  young  people 
of  the  school  accepted  her  at  her  true  worth,  and  her 
life  soon  was  a  part  of  our  American  life.  This  might 
well  be  taken  as  a  prophecy  of  the  future  of  the  beau- 
tiful little  island  whose  possession  means  so  much  to 
them  and  to  us.  No  spot  under  the  American  flag  is 
of  greater  interest  to  the  American  people  than  that 
little  island  gem,  guardian  of  our  Panama  Canal. 

Under  the  Power  of  Spain 

Discovery  and  Colonization. —  It  was  on  his  second 
voyage  to  the  New  World  that  Columbus  discovered 
this  smallest  and  most  beautiful  of  the  group  known  as 
the  Greater  Antilles.  The  present  town  of  Aguadilla, 
on  the  northwestern  coast,  marks  the  place  where  on 

lOI 


102        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

November  i8,  1493,  Columbus  landed.  A  granite 
monument  marks  the  place  \N(here  he  planted  the  cross 
and  took  possession  in  the  name  of  the  Crown  of  Spain 
and  the  Holy  Catholic  Church.  The  town  takes  its 
name  Aguadilla  (watering  place)  from  a  great  foun- 
tain that  bursts  out  of  the  hillside  and  furnishes  water 
for  the  whole  population.  The  name  given  by  Colum- 
bus to  this  beautiful  and  fertile  region  was  Puerto 
Rico,  or  Rich  Port,  and  to  the  island,  San  Juan  Bau- 
tista.  For  some  time  the  Spaniards  called  the  island 
San  Juan  Bautista  de  Puerto  Rico.  Later  when  the 
explorations  had  extended  to  the  eastern  end  a  settle- 
ment was  made  across  the  bay  from  what  is  now  the 
city  of  San  Juan  and  was  called  Caparra.  Later,  in 
1521,  it  was  transferred  to  the  present  site  command- 
ing the  entrance  to  the  bay.  The  name  of  the  new 
town  was  changed  to  San  Juan  de  Bautista,  and  the 
island  was  henceforth  known  as  Puerto  Rico.  The  In- 
dian name  was  Borinquen,  and  the  national  anthem  of 
the  Porto  Ricans  bears  that  name  and  is  as  dear  to 
their  hearts  as  is  "  America "  to  the  Americans  or 
"  God  Save  the  King  "  to  the  British. 

Soon  after  founding  the  new  town,  the  Spaniards 
began  work  on  the  fortifications  at  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor,  and  the  massive  and  formerly  impregnable 
fortresses  of  the  Morro  and  Cristobal  Colon  are  monu- 
ments to  the  energy  and  engineering  skill  of  the  Span- 
iards of  that  time.  But  as  one  looks  upon  those 
mighty  walls,  and  realizes  that  they  were  built  by  the 
forced  labor  of  the  unhappy  natives,  it  does  not  re- 
quire a  strong  imagination  to  believe  that  the  mortar 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  103 

that  has  stood  the  test  of  nearly  four  hundred  years 
was  mixed  with  the  blood  and  tears  of  the  unfortunate 
inhabitants  of  beautiful  Borinquen. 

Ponce  de  Leon. —  In  1508  Ponce  de  Leon  was  made 
governor  of  Porto  Rico.  It  was  a  dark  day  for  the 
hospitable  natives  when  they  were  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  this  cruel  and  brutal  adventurer.  Under  his 
administration  the  Indians  were  not  only  made  to  work 
in  the  gold  mines  of  Porto  Rico,  but  were  also  carried 
by  thousands  to  the  neighboring  island  of  Haiti.  If  by 
chance  they  escaped  to  the  mountains  they  were  hunted 
with  bloodhounds,  and  were  either  slain  or  brought 
back  to  toil  in  their  bondage  until  freed  by  a  merciful 
death. 

Diego  Columbus, —  In  15 11  Ponce  de  Leon  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Diego  Columbus,  a  brother^  of  the  dis- 
coverer, but  the  condition  of  the  natives  was  in  no  way 
improved  by  the  change.  A  system  whereby  the  In- 
dians were  distributed  among  the  Spaniards  as  virtual 
slaves  had  been  instituted  by  Christopher  Columbus, 
and  under  his  brother  they  were  divided  into  eight  sec- 
tions and  distributed  among  eight  overseers  to  search 
for  gold  in  the  streams.  So  cruel  was  their  treatment 
that  at  last  in  151 1  the  peaceful  slaves  could  no  longer 
endure  it,  and  there  was  a  general  uprising  in  which 
hundreds  of  their  masters  were  slain.  But  like  all  up- 
risings against  the  armed  and  disciplined  Spaniards,  it 
ended  in  greater  cruelties,  and  the  Indians  were  not 
only  subjugated  after  brief  successes,  but  were  almost 

1  By  some  authorities  named  as  a  son  of  Christopher  Colum- 
bus. 


104        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

exterminated.  How  many  there  were  at  the  time  of 
the  discovery  cannot  be  ascertained.  The  estimates 
varied  from  one  hundred  thousand  to  six  hundred 
thousand ;  but  when  the  King  of  Spain  by  royal  decree 
ordered  their  liberation  from  slavery  it  is  stated  that 
there  were  left  but  sixty  to  avail  themselves  of  the  of- 
fered liberty  and  *'  before  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury the  natives  disappeared  as  a  distinct  race." 

The  Coming  of  the  Negroes. —  In  the  early  part  of 
the  sixteenth  century  Negroes  bd*gan  to  be  imported 
in  great  numbers  to  take  the  place  of  the  exterminated 
Indians.  What  untold  cruelties  attended  the  traffic  we 
can  only  imagine.  It  is  said  that  the  man-eating 
sharks  that  infest  the  waters  of  the  West  Indies  came 
from  Africa,  following  the  slavers,  drawn  by  the 
corpses  thrown  overboard. 

Better  Days. —  Fortunately  for  Porto  Rico,  Spain 
had  her  hands  full  with  European  wars  and  the  island 
had  a  period  of  comparative  freedom  from  interfer- 
ence for  almost  two  hundred  years.  By  1800  the 
population  had  increased  to  nearly  forty  thousand, 
counting  the  slaves,  who  numbered  about  six  thousand. 

The  Freedom  of  the  Slaves. —  On  March  22,  1873, 
while  under  the  short-lived  Spanish  Republic,  Porto 
Rico  abolished  slavery.  If  the  Spaniards  did  bring 
the  first  African  slaves  to  America,  they  were  wiser 
than  we  in  that  they  abolished  slavery  without  the 
enormous  waste  and  bitterness  of  a  civil  war.  Porto 
Rican  representatives  to  the  Spanish  Cortes  united 
with  the  Republicans  in  the  request  for  the  abolition 
of  slavery,  and  the  Negro,  who  on  the  night  of  March 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  105 

2 1st,  lay  down  to  sleep  a  slave,  awakened  on  the  22nd 
a  free  man.  A  loan  of  nearly  fourteen  millions  of 
dollars  was  negotiated  to  pay  the  slaveholders  for  their 
slaves,  and  the  great  act  was  accomplished  without 
leaving  a  ripple  on  the  surface  of  the  social  or  civil 
life. 

Spanish  Misrule. —  During  the  trying  years  that  fol- 
lowed the  restoration  of  the  Spanish  monarchy,  both 
Porto  Rico  and  Cuba  suffered  industrial  paralysis. 
On  November  25,  1897,  Spain  granted  autonomy  to 
both  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  but  the  hand  of  the  Spanish 
oligarchy  was  still  heavy  upon  them.  Their  liberty 
was  only  in  name.  Castelar  said  with  reference  to  the 
union  of  church  and  state,  "  A  privileged  church 
within  a  free  state  is  an  impossibility."  He  warned 
the  Cortes  that  unless  a  larger  liberty,  civil  and  re- 
ligious, was  granted  in  the  islands,  they  would  lose 
both  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico. 

The  reforms  were  denied  and  the  record  of  misrule 
from  Ponce  de  Leon  to  Weyler  was  continued,  until  it 
led,  in  the  providence  of  God,  to  American  intervention, 
and  the  opportunity  for  the  Church  of  Christ  to  show 
to  the  world  what  His  Gospel  could  accomplish  in  the 
redemption  of  a  people. 

Our  New  Possession 

Government. —  A  nation  was  born  in  a  day,  in  an 
hour,  when  on  October  18,  1898,  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
were  raised  over  the  Governor's  palace  in  San  Juan. 
The  centuries  of  misrule  and  oppression  ended  that 
day  with  the  stroke  of  twelve;  but  not  even  the  most 


io6        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

sanguine  of  the  thousands  who  witnessed  the  unfurling 
of  that  symbol  of  liberty  could  have  foreseen  the  trans- 
formation that  would  take  place  in  the  physical,  the 
moral,  and  the  intellectual  condition  of  the  people,  in 
the  space  of  one  decade  from  the  historic  event. 

It  was  no  easy  task  which  was  assumed  by  the 
United  States  in  reorganizing  the  government  in  the 
islands  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico. 

Here  was  an  island  with  a  population  of  about  one 
milHon,  60  per  cent  of  whom  were  white,  34  of  mixed 
blood,  and  6  per  cent  Negroes.  The  Spaniards  did  not 
draw  the  color  line  very  closely,  consequently  the  pop- 
ulation was  decidedly  mixed  both  as  to  color  and 
blood.  This  admixture  was  bound  to  cause  many 
complications.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  cross- 
ing of  Spanish  and  Indian  produced  a  much  more 
peaceable  and  dependable  type  than  the  cross  with  the 
African. 

The  pro-Spanish  element  was,  of  course,  bitterly  hos- 
tile to  the  new  government,  and  the  priesthood  was 
even  more  antagonistic.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church 
had  undisputed  sway  for  four  hundred  years  and 
every  effort  was  made  to  prejudice  the  uneducated 
masses  against  the  new  comers.  When  the  terrible 
hurricane  of  August  8,  1908,  swept  the  island  and  al- 
most destroyed  the  coffee  industry,  the  main  depend- 
ence of  so  large  a  portion  of  the  laborers,  the  priests 
declared  it  was  a  manifest  judgment  of  God  upon 
them  for  having  accepted  a  heretic  government  to  the 
detriment  of  the  "  Holy  Catholic  Apostolic  Church." 
It  was  only  the  apathy  and  indifference  of  the  people 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  107 

toward  the   Qiurch   that   rendered   abortive   this   at- 
tempt to  array  them  against  the  United  States. 

The  wisdom  of  a  military  form  of  government  was 
seen  in  handHng  the  difficult  conditions  immediately 
following  the  hurricane,  when  nearly  the  whole  popu- 
lation was  in  great  distress.  The  military  became  the 
police  force,  and  a  government  appropriation  of 
$200,000  relieved  the  immediate  necessities  and  at 
once  convinced  the  people  that  at  last  they  had  a  gov- 
ernment that  would  serve  them  as  well  as  be  served 
by  them. 

The  military  government  gave  way  to  the  civil  gov- 
ernment established  by  the  Fo raker  Law  of  1900. 

Physical  Conditions. —  Porto  Rico  is  a  gem  for  the 
beauty  of  its  scenery.  Standing  on  a  mountain  top 
overlooking  the  sea,  watching  the  changing  colors  as 
the  fleecy  clouds  move  over  the  waters,  seeing  the 
wealth  and  beauty  of  valley  and  mountain,  one  is  car- 
ried away  by  the  wonderful  prospect.  The  graceful 
palm,  the  glossy  leaved  mango,  the  golden  orange,  the 
soft  trade  wind,  purified  by  its  sweep  across  three 
thousand  miles  of  open  sea, —  all  combine  to  win  the 
heart  of  the  visitor  from  the  north  to  swear  eternal 
loyalty  to  "  Borinquen  the  Beautiful."  When  once 
the  tropics  get  their  grip  on  the  heart  and  imagination 
there  is  no  release.  In  no  other  place  will  the  moon 
seem  so  bright,  the  air  so  soft,  the  foliage  so  beauti- 
ful, while  the  ear  is  always  listening  to  hear  once  more 
the  soft  rustling  of  the  palm.  The  discomforts  are 
forgotten,  and  only  the  delights  of  those  long  winter 
days  are  remembered,  days  of  freedom  from  frosts, 


io8        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

days  of  sudden  sunrise  and  of  gorgeous  sunsets,  such 
as  are  seen  nowhere  else.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the 
people  love  their  little  island  home. 

Though  robbed  for  centuries,  with  no  return,  the 
soil  of  Porto  Rico  is  still  so  fertile  that  its  3,600 
square  miles  are  capable  of  supporting  a  population  of 
three  millions  of  people.  Rugged  and  broken  though 
it  appears,  it  has  marvellously  rich  valleys,  while  its 
hills  and  mountains  can  be  cultivated  to  the  very  limit 
of  productiveness.  Governor  Post  had  a  careful  sur- 
vey made  of  the  watersheds  and  estimated  that  there 
was  water  enough  to  increase  fourfold  the  produc- 
tiveness of  the  island.  The  frequent  rains  will  con- 
stantly renew  the  supply  in  the  reservoirs,  and  the 
barren  places  will  become  the  most  productive  under 
the  new  methods,  because  they  have  not  been  so  de- 
pleted by  long  years  of  cultivation. 

The  partial  destruction  of  the  coffee  plantations  by 
the  hurricane  of  1908  was  not  an  unmixed  evil,  for  it 
compelled  many  planters  and  laborers  to  turn  their 
attention  to  other  products ;  yet  it  was  a  terrible  blow 
to  those  whose  whole  living  depended  upon  this  one 
industry. 

Sanitation  and  Health. —  When  the  United  States 
took  possession  of  Porto  Rico  it  was  found  necessary 
for  the  government  to  look  after  the  health  of  the 
natives.  The  overcrowding  and  the  ignorance  of  the 
people  had  resulted  in  unsanitary  physical  conditions 
and  widespread  immorality.  The  simplest  rules  of 
sanitation  were  not  observed,  there  was  no  care  of  the 
sick  in  hospitals  or  in  homes,  and  the  result  was  a 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  109 

weakened  body  of  natives.  In  an  address  delivered 
at  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  San  Juan,  Governor  Post  said 
that  the  original  walled  town  was  intended  to  contain 
about  forty  thousand  human  beings,  and  tliat  the 
promiscuous  crowding  was  not  only  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal causes  of  disease,  but  also  of  appalling  immo- 
rality. 

The  Porto  Ricans  were  stigmatized  as  "lazy  and 
incompetent "  by  the  first  American  settlers,  but  when 
it  was  found  that  not  less  than  eighty  per  cent  were 
afflicted  with  the  dreaded  tropical  anemia,  or  *'  hook- 
worm," the  marvel  was  that  they  had  enough  vitality 
to  work  at  all.  Pallid  and  bloated  or  emaciated  men, 
women,  and  children  were  seen  at  every  step,  yet  no 
real  investigation  had  been  made  as  to  the  cause  until 
Dr.  Bailey  K.  Ash  ford,  an  army  physician,  discov- 
ered the  worm  and  its  remedy.  Soon  the  government 
established  anemia  camps,  and  both  American  and  na- 
tive physicians  united  in  a  vigorous  campaign  to  eradi- 
cate the  disease.  It  was  found  that  the  custom  of 
going  barefoot  was  responsible  for  its  prevalence,  and 
shoes  were  insisted  upon  as  a  part  of  the  school  equip- 
ment. 

The  Porto  Ricans  have  taken  hold  of  sanitary  im- 
provements with  enthusiasm,  and  now  San  Juan  and 
all  other  towns  of  importance  have  their  water  system 
and  drainage.  The  old  order  has  passed,  as  in  Pan- 
ama, and  Porto  Rico  has  become  a  most  delightful 
and  healthful  winter  resort.  A  new  race  of  Porto 
Ricans,  sturdy  and  energetic,  is  coming  to  the  front. 


no        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

American  athletic  sports  have  taken  a  strong  hold 
upon  the  youth  of  both  sexes,  and  the  influence  of  this 
new  activity  cannot  be  measured  by  the  physical  gain. 
The  necessity  for  self-control  in  training  and  the  new 
interest  in  the  open  air  sports  have  tended  to  wean  the 
young  men  from  the  old  and  debasing  sports  that  pre- 
vailed, and  a  new  generation  of  men  is  being  devel- 
oped stronger  physically,  mentally,  and  morally  than 
was  ever  known  under  the  Spanish  regime. 

Development  of  Education  in  Porto  Rico 

Educational  Conditions  Under  Spanish  Occupation. 
As  a  result  of  four  hundred  years  of  Spanish  occu- 
pation, only  fifteen  per  cent  of  the  population  of  Porto 
Rico  could  read  and  write.  The  State  left  all  matters 
of  education  to  the  care  of  the  clergy.  The  Church 
was  supreme  in  all  things,  religious,  social,  and  politi- 
cal. So  far  as  the  masses  were  concerned  her  motto 
might  well  have  been  "  Ignorance  is  the  mother  of 
devotion."  Little  or  no  effort  was  made  to  educate 
the  people.  The  Church  dictated  not  only  what  should 
be  taught,  but  how  it  should  be  taught.  The  mayor 
of  one  of  the  towns  in  Porto  Rico  told  the  writer  that 
before  American  occupation  the  parish  priest  was  al- 
ways chairman  of  the  board  of  school  directors.  A 
priest  coming  from  Spain  one  day  sat  the  next  day  in 
the  board,  and  dictated  the  educational  policy  of  a 
district  with  which  he  was  entirely  unfamiliar. 

Growth  of  Schools  Under  United  States. —  Prop- 
erly speaking,  Porto  Rico  had  no  school  system  prior 
to  her  passing  under  the  American  flag.     There  were 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  in 

a  few  schools,  it  is  true,  but  no  system  which  looked  to 
the  education  of  the  people  either  in  self-government 
as  in  a  democracy,  or  in  self-control  as  under  a  truly 
Christian  system  of  social  development.  Under  Amer- 
ican direction  an  excellent  school  system  has  been 
developed  and  school  houses  of  modern  design  dot 
tlie  island.  In  primary  work  the  different  mission- 
ary organizations  have  supplemented  the  work  of  the 
insular  government,  gradually  giving  way  to  the  public 
schools  as  these  were  able  to  meet  the  demands.  In 
San  Juan  the  government  opened  a  high  school  that 
ranks  with  schools  of  like  order  in  cities  of  the  same 
class  in  the  States.  The  first  class,  consisting  of  five 
Porto  Ricans  and  one  American,  was  graduated  in 
1904.  The  Porto  Ricans  did  not  take  kindly,  at  first, 
to  coeducation,  but  are  rapidly  conforming  in  this  to 
American  ideas.  It  is  inspiring  to  see  the  children 
thronging  to  the  schools,  entering  with  zeal  into  study 
and  sports  and  saluting  the  flag  with  as  enthusiastic 
loyalty  as  any  Saxon  among  us,  or  any  son  born  of 
Revolutionary  sires. 

Today  most  of  the  cities  have  modem  concrete 
school  buildings,  and  together  with  the  ordinary 
branches  of  study  have  developed  manual  training 
and  household  arts.  The  needs  of  the  rural  sections 
have  been  given  particular  attention  the  past  two  years 
and  now  every  village  has  its  public  school.  In  1900- 
1901,  $435,565.29  was  appropriated  for  the  schools, 
while  in  1913-1914,  $3,014,740.00  was  the  amount  set 
apart  for  this  work.  Very  little  school  work  is  now 
attempted  by  the  churches,  on  account  of  the  splendid 


112        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

system  of  public  schools.  The  little  that  is  done  is 
confined  almost  entirely  to  the  poorest  districts  of  the 
cities.  The  teachers  of  the  public  schools  are  in  a 
large  proportion  Porto  Ricans,  and  many  of  these  are 
graduates  of  the  Normal  College  of  the  University  of 
Porto  Rico  at  Rio  Piedras,  where  is  also  located  an- 
other division  of  the  University,  the  College  of  Lib- 
eral Arts.  A  third  college  of  the  University,  the  Col- 
lege of  Agriculture  and  Mechanical  Arts,  is  located  at 
Mayaguez.  Porto  Rico  should  be  grateful  to  the 
United  States  for  the  aid  given  in  educational  matters ; 
but  Americans  should  understand  that  it  is  a  Porto 
Rican  legislature  that  willingly  votes  the  funds  to  de- 
velop and  carry  on  the  schools  and  that  the  Porto 
Rican  people  cheerfully  pay  their  taxes  to  bring  the 
system  to  a  high  state  of  efficiency. 

Religious  and  Moral  Condition  of  the 
Porto  Ricans 

Under  Spanish  Domination. —  Spain  always  carried 
her  state  religion  to  her  dependencies,  and  she  suc- 
ceeded in  planting  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  as  firmly 
in  Porto  Rico  as  in  any  of  her  other  possessions.  The 
Inquisition  was  introduced  by  Bishop  Manso  as  early 
as  15 19,  and  not  even  Torquemada  in  his  greater  field 
was  more  relentless  in  the  pursuit  of  heretics  than  was 
this  monster  in  the  pursuit  of  all  who  incurred  his  dis- 
pleasure. There  seems  to  have  been  no  limit  to  his 
authority.  From  all  parts  of  the  island  the  accused 
were  brought  to  San  Juan  for  punishment,  the  favorite 
method  being  roasting  alive.     The  spirit  of  the  Inqui- 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  113 

sition  prevailed  even  to  the  last,  and  the  people,  ex- 
cept such  as  had  traveled  abroad,  were  wholly  igno- 
rant of  the  beliefs  and  practices  of  Protestants. 
Priests  were  paid  from  state  funds  and  every  city 
had  its  cathedral  facing  the  principal  square. 

The  priests  were  frequently  men  of  immoral  lives 
and  their  hold  on  the  people  grew  less  and  less.  Men 
deserted  the  services  of  the  Church  almost  entirely, 
and  at  the  time  of  the  coming  of  the  Americans  large 
numbers  had  drifted  into  atheism.  The  people  of 
Porto  Rico  knew  of  the  immoral  character  of  many 
of  their  priests,  and  while  it  was  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal reasons  for  the  absence  of  men  from  the  services 
of  the  Church,  yet  it  did  not  seem  to  shock  the  faith- 
ful ones.  Morals  and  religion  were  divorced  in  a 
way  never  understood  among  Protestants. 

The  excessive  fees  demanded  by  the  priests  for  per- 
forming a  marriage  ceremony  made  one  almost  pro- 
hibitive and,  even  in  the  time  when  the  State  recog- 
nized civil  marriage,  such  was  the  power  of  the  clergy 
over  the  ignorant  peasants  that  few  dared  avail  them- 
selves of  the  provisions  of  the  law.  As  a  consequence 
fully  fifty  per  cent  of  the  families  were  formed  with- 
out a  marriage  ceremony.  Often  the  judges  aided  the 
Church  in  this  immoral  practice.  A  well  authenticated 
case  is  as  follows:  A  young  couple  in  Porto  Rico 
went  to  take  out  a  marriage  license.  When  the  judge 
found  they  were  Protestants,  he  availed  himself  of 
every  possible  legal  obstruction  to  the  marriage.  The 
girl  was  an  orphan,  but  had  been  raised  by  foster 
parents.     The  judge  said  it  would  be  necessary  to  wait 


114        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

until  the  court  could  appoint  a  guardian,  as  the  con- 
sent of  the  foster  parents  was  of  no  value.  When 
the  young  man  protested,  the  judge  advised  him,  in 
the  presence  of  a  crowd  of  men,  to  take  her  home 
with  him  and  not  bother  about  a  marriage  ceremony. 
It  was  necessary  to  go  to  the  Attorney  General  to  get 
an  order  for  the  license  before  the  judge  would  issue 
it. 

Cock-fighting,  gambling,  disregard  of  the  Sabbath, 
and  intemperance  were  prevalent  in  the  island  when 
the  Americans  took  possession. 

Protestant  Entrance. —  The  Church  of  England  was 
the  first  Protestant  Church  to  establish  itself  in  Porto 
Rico.  Even  before  American  occupation,  there  was 
not  the  same  intolerance  of  churches  other  than  the 
Roman  Catholic  as  there  was  in  Cuba,  and  services 
for  the  English  residents  were  held  in  the  Holy  Trin- 
ity Church  in  Ponce,  beginning  in  1867.  This  build- 
ing was  transferred  to  the  Episcopal  Church  in  1899. 
Within  four  months  after  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were 
raised  over  the  island,  Protestant  missionaries  were  on 
the  field.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  first  Prot- 
estant church  in  the  city  of  Mayaguez  was  organized 
in  the  old  building  of  the  Inquisition,  and  the  first 
native  Protestants  lifted  up  songs  of  praise  within 
walls  that  had  echoed  with  the  cries  and  groans  of  the 
victims  of  the  *'  Holy  Office." 

Church  Comity. —  In  a  large  measure  the  lamen- 
table mistake  of  denominational  competition  has  been 
avoided  in  Porto  Rico.  Methodists,  Baptists,  Pres- 
byterians,   Congregationalists,    Disciples,    Lutherans, 


Typical  Porto  Rican  AIouxiaix  Home 


i 


Public  School  at  Arecibo 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  115 

United  Brethren,  and  the  Christian  Alliance  have 
divided  the  territory  in  such  a  way  as  to  secure  help- 
ful cooperation.  San  Juan  and  Ponce,  the  two  prin- 
cipal cities,  are  open  to  all,  but  all  have  not  availed 
themselves  of  the  privilege  of  entering. 

The  spirit  of  union  is  seen  in  the  tendency  to  com- 
bine wherever  the  way  seems  open.  The  Presbyteri- 
ans had  a  most  successful  training  school  for  the  na- 
tive ministry  in  Mayaguez.  After  several  years  of 
successful  work  the  Congregationalists  and  United 
Brethren  joined  with  them,  and  it  is  now  an  interde- 
nominational school. 

These  three  cooperating  denominations  have  also 
united  in  the  publication  of  an  interdenominational 
paper  for  the  extension  of  evangelical  work.  It  would 
seem  from  the  growth  of  this  spirit  of  mutual  helpful- 
ness that  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  eventually  all 
denominations  will  unite  in  supporting  one  training 
school  for  the  ministry,  in  one  publication  for  the  dis- 
semination of  the  printed  truth,  and  in  higher  Chris- 
tian education. 

The  Episcopal  Church  has  not  formally  accepted 
the  principle  of  comity  prevailing  among  the  other 
churches,  but  has  been  in  sympathy  with  it  and  has 
largely  observed  it  in  spirit. 

Missionary  Work. —  The  Church  Boards  having  in 
charge  the  missionary  work  on  the  island  sent  at  once 
men  who  had  a  knowledge  of  the  Spanish  language, 
and,  as  far  as  possible,  those  who  had  had  experience 
in  missionary  work  in  Mexico  and  South  America. 
The  evil  growth  of  years  could  not  be  checked  at  once, 


ii6        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

and  there  was  much  to  discourage  the  newcomers. 
The  immorality  was  revolting,  but  there  were  rays  of 
light  through  the  darkness.  Missionaries  found  a 
people  who  were  remarkably  teachable  and  who  were 
eager  to  hear  the  true  message.  The  few  men  on  the 
field  at  first  held  services  in  city  and  country  districts, 
covering  as  large  a  territory  as  possible,  and  always 
having  large  audiences. 

Gradually  the  religious  indifference  and  apathy  of 
the  people  ceased,  and  there  was  ready  response  to  the 
invitation  of  the  missionaries.  Even  some  who  still 
profess  that  they  are  Romanists  have  opened  their 
homes  wide  for  services. 

Encouragements. —  The  number  of  church  members 
in  Porto  Rico  passed  the  10,000  mark  several  years 
ago,  and  the  number  in  Sunday  schools  was  even 
larger.  Pastors  have  reported  a  desire  on  the  part  of 
the  people  to  make  their  lives  better,  and  very  many 
marriage  ceremonies  have  been  performed  by  mis- 
sionaries for  those  who  have  been  living  together  with- 
out it  for  years.  Oftentimes  there  are  children  old 
enough  to  serve  as  witnesses. 

Many  forms  of  evil  have  been  restrained,  and 
Christian  men  are  fighting  intemperance  and  an  open 
Sunday.  The  work  of  the  missionaries  is  only  re- 
tarded by  the  small  number  of  men  and  the  large  par- 
ishes that  are  theirs  to  serve. 

Effect  on  the  Catholic  Church. —  Not  the  least  of 
the  wonders  wrought  by  Protestant  missions  has  been 
the  change  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  Ameri- 
cans who  have  known  Porto  Rico  from  the  beginning 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  117 

have  seen  a  new  people  and  a  new  church  born.  The 
policy  of  the  missionaries  has  never  been  one  of  at- 
tack, but  the  loving  presentation  of  the  Gospel ;  not 
antagonizing,  but  winning.  The  American  Catholic 
bishop,  sent  to  the  island  soon  after  it  came  under 
American  control,  removed  the  most  corrupt  of  the 
priests  and  replaced  them  with  better  men.  The  Sis- 
ters, who  had  neglected  the  poor,  began  to  care  for 
them.  Schools  were  opened  by  them  and  the  Brothers, 
and  even  if  the  object  may  have  been  to  counteract 
the  influence  of  the  public  and  mission  schools,  it  was 
worth  something  that  they  interested  themselves  in  the 
unfortunate  ones.  A  higher  standard  of  morals  for 
the  clergy  was  demanded  by  an  enlightened  public 
opinion,  the  nominal,  though  indifferent  Catholics, 
were  moved  to  a  greater  interest  and  devotion,  and 
made  a  more  insistent  demand  that  their  church  meas- 
ure up  to  the  standard  of  piety,  purity,  morals,  and 
helpfulness  that  characterized  the  Protestant  churches. 
A  missionary  was  in  company  with  a  number  of 
Porto  Ricans  and  Spaniards;  one  of  the  latter  com- 
mented on  a  fine  Protestant  church,  when  another 
turned  to  the  missionary  and  said,  *'  We  do  not  need 
you  Protestants  here  any  longer."  Asked  his  reason, 
he  continued,  *'  Because  the  Bishop  has  put  out  the 
priests  who  caused  such  a  scandal,  and  the  Sisters  are 
opening  schools  and  are  caring  for  the  poor.'* 
''  Good !  "  said  the  missionary ;  "  that  is  a  part  of  our 
mission.  We  have  not  come  to  destroy,  not  even  to 
attack  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  but  to  do  what  she 
was  not  doing.     If  we  shall  be  able  to  stir  her  up  to 


ii8        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

help  the  poor  and  make  them  better  and  their  lives 
brighter,  we  will  feel  that  our  mission  has  not  been  in 
vain.  But,  supposing  we  were  to  close  every  Prot- 
estant church  tomorrow,  suspend  the  work  of  all 
medical  missions,  close  all  our  schools,  and  then  with- 
draw all  our  forces  from  the  island,  how  long  would 
this  reform  of  your  Church  continue  ?  "  "  Well  said," 
another  replied,  *'  it  would  not  last  long." 

Social  Service 

The  first  missionaries  to  go  to  Porto  Rico  realized 
that  there  were  physical  needs  that  must  be  met  be- 
fore the  spiritual  needs  of  the  people  could  be  greatly 
touched,  and  they  asked  their  churches  for  teachers 
and  doctors  to  supplement  the  work  of  the  government 
in  eradicating  the  hook  worm,  establishing  sanitary 
conditions,  and  in  teaching  the  Porto  Ricans.  As  the 
government  schools  have  improved  it  has  been  possible 
for  teachers  to  devote  more  of  their  time  to  raising  the 
standards  in  the  home  life  of  the  people. 

Religious  Settlements. —  After  visiting  the  work  of 
the  churches  in  Porto  Rico  the  head  of  the  School  De- 
partment of  one  of  the  Church  Boards  said  of  the 
needs  in  the  fearfully  overcrowded  city  districts: 
"  The  only  method  of  attack  that  will  achieve  the  de- 
sired end  is  through  a  neighborhood  settlement  with 
(i)  a  visiting  nurse  working  in  cooperation  with  the 
local  physician,  (2)  a  day  nursery  for  the  mothers, 
(3)  a  play  school  for  the  little  children  below  public 
school  age,  (4)  profitable  industrial  work,  and  (5) 
competent  instruction  in  domestic  science." 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  119 

It  is  such  a  work  that  missionaries  are  attempting 
to  develop,  and  only  the  lack  of  buildings,  equipment, 
and  helpers  have  retarded  them.  The  Blanche  Kel- 
logg Institute,  located  at  Santurce,  a  suburb  of  San 
Juan,  is  the  most  noteworthy  institution  under  denomi- 
national control,  carrying  on  this  type  of  work.  The 
workers  spend  their  mornings  calling  on  the  sick,  vis- 
iting among  the  people,  encouraging  and  helping  them 
in  every  way.  They  try  to  provide  work  for  those 
who  have  no  employment;  during  the  depression  of 
the  past  two  years  this  has  been  a  hard  matter.  In 
the  early  afternoon  time  is  given  to  the  care  of  the 
Settlement  house  and  grounds,  business,  and  prepara- 
tion for  classes.  Three  afternoons  a  week  girls  from 
seven  to  twelve  attend  the  Settlement,  learning  to 
sew,  cook,  and  clean.  It  has  been  found  necessary  to 
teach  plain  sewing,  for  the  women  and  girls  who  have 
learned  to  do  beautiful  lace  and  drawn  work  have 
known  nothing  of  the  more  necessary  sewing.  Older 
girls  carry  on  advanced  work  the  other  three  after- 
noons, and  at  night  the  mothers  or  still  older  girls 
meet.  The  mothers  also  form  a  missionary  society, 
doing  missionary  and  Bible  work  among  their  own 
people.  They  have  practical  addresses  on  such  sub- 
jects as  cleanliness,  training  of  children,  and  pure 
foods,  as  well  as  religion  and  travel.  This  settlement 
has  been  doing  a  great  work  in  the  interests  of  temper- 
ance. Boys  and  girls,  men  and  women  are  enrolled 
in  the  temperance  societies,  and  are  trying  to  limit  the 
sale  of  liquors,  which  are  now  found  in  every  grocery 
store.     Addresses  on  temperance  are  given  before  the 


I20        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

* 

societies,  and  posters  in  the  interest  of  temperance 
have  been  set  up  by  them.  In  every  club  at  the  Set- 
tlement, the  Bible  is  given  a  prominent  place. 

Settlement  work  is  of  incalculable  value  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  cities  and  to  the  Christian  Church.  The 
missionaries  are  anxious  to  increase  it,  and  the  Church 
at  home  must  recognize  the  need  and  make  it  possible 
for  this  work  to  be  extended. 

Orphanages. —  The  George  O.  Robinson  Orphanage 
of  San  Juan  is  ideally  located  in  large  grounds  near 
the  ocean.  The  girls  are  trained  in  all  kinds  of  house- 
work, together  with  the  regular  school  branches.  The 
Orphanage  has  not  yet  been  in  existence  fifteen  years, 
but  it  shows  results  that  warrant  its  continuance. 
Not  only  has  there  been  satisfaction  in  being  able  to 
care  for  neglected  little  children,  but  there  has  been 
the  joy  of  seeing  some  of  these  children  develop  into 
beautiful,  useful  womanhood. 

Medical  Work. —  Dr.  Ashf ord  of  the  army  medical 
corps  compares  the  proportion  of  people  in  the  United 
States  and  Porto  Rico  who  are  able  to  pay  for  medical 
attendance.  In  the  United  States  the  ten  per  cent 
who  are  not  able  to  pay  are  largely  cared  for  by  or- 
ganized charity.  On  the  other  hand  but  ten  per  cent 
of  the  Porto  Ricans  are  able  to  pay  for  the  care,  and 
as  there  is  not  a  well  organized  system  of  charity  the 
State  and  individuals  must  look  after  the  sick.  The 
first  Presbyterian  missionary  to  reach  Porto  Rico 
asked  his  Mission  Board  for  a  doctor,  for  the  over- 
crowding, lack  of  knowledge  of  sanitation,  and  preva- 
lence of  anemia  were  things  with  which  a  clergyman 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  121 

could  hardly  deal.  The  Woman's  Board  of  Home 
Missions  of  that  denomination  responded  by  sending 
the  first  medical  missionary,  a  young  woman,  Dr. 
Grace  Atkins.  Before  her  office  in  San  Juan  was  in 
order  or  her  drugs  unpacked,  patients  began  to  arrive. 
When  she  had  been  but  six  weeks  on  the  island  and 
was  still  almost  ignorant  of  the  language,  she  was 
receiving  as  many  as  twenty  patients  a  day  and  visit- 
ing many  more  in  their  homes.  Dr.  Atkins  found 
that  her  work  could  not  have  the  best  results  both  be- 
cause the  people  were  too  ignorant  to  carry  out  her 
directions,  and  because  the  homes  were  lacking  any 
of  the  comforts  needed  by  the  sick.  She  returned  to 
the  States  and  persuaded  the  women  of  her  de- 
nomination to  undertake  the  building  of  a  hos- 
pital. 

Santurce,  the  home  of  the  Methodist  Orphanage 
and  the  Blanche  Kellogg  Institute,  was  selected  as  a 
site  for  the  buildings  known  now  all  over  the  island  as 
the  Presbyterian  Hospital.  The  frame  buildings  orig- 
inally erected  have  already  suffered  the  ravages  of 
winds,  rains,  and  insects,  and  are  soon  to  be  replaced 
by  a  substantial  and  beautiful  concrete  hospital  build- 
ing. The  physicians  treated  6,000  patients  in  1907 
and  almost  25,000  in  1915,  while  600  operations  were 
performed. 

A  great  work  of  this  hospital  has  been  the  training 
of  Porto  Rican  girls  as  nurses.  The  graduates  have 
begun  a  most  necessary  work  on  the  island,  some  do- 
ing private  nursing,  while  others  have  been  engaged 
by  churches  or  districts   for  work  among  the  poor. 


122        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

Their  knowledge  of  people,  language,  and  conditions 
has  been  a  great  asset  in  undertaking  the  work. 

In  addition  to  the  nurses,  there  is  at  the  hospital 
a  missionary  who  gives  all  her  time  to  religious  work. 
She  opens  the  clinic  with  a  brief  service  and  as  she 
aids  the  nurse  in  the  distribution  of  medicines  she  uses 
the  opportunity  to  give  spiritual  help.  That  this  work 
is  needed  was  shown  by  the  answer  to  a  question  asked 
at  one  of  the  clinics  of  the  forty  patients  who  had  gath- 
ered. They  were  questioned  as  to  how  many  had 
ever  been  in  a  Protestant  or  in  a  Catholic  church. 
Two  of  the  number  had  been  in  the  former,  and  four 
in  the  latter.  Through  the  work  of  the  Christian 
staff  of  the  hospital  many  have  found  the  Saviour  and 
been  brought  into  the  churches  of  their  neighborhoods 
on  their  return  home.  The  Congregationalists  have  a 
skilled  medical  missionary  who  holds  clinics  in  three 
large  centers. 

The  first  unit  of  a  new  hospital  is  being  erected  at 
Humacao  and  will  be  ready  for  use  soon.  Sick  peo- 
ple come  in  from  miles  around  for  medical  treatment, 
over  14,500  cases  having  been  cared  for  during  the 
past  year,  as  many  as  170  in  one  day,  the  doctor  giv- 
ing all  the  medicine  himself  and  putting  up  as  many 
as  10,000  bottles  of  medicine  a  year. 

The  gift  of  a  new  Ford  machine  enables  the  medical 
missionary  to  reach  his  remote  clinics  much  more  ex- 
peditiously than  heretofore.  With  the  new  hospital 
he  will  operate  on  hundreds  of  cases  of  physical  blind- 
ness and  through  this  work  there  will  be  an  opportu- 
nity to  open  the  eyes  of  those  who  are  spiritually  blind. 


OUR  NEW  POSSESSION  123 

One  of  the  women  missionaries  with  the  help  of  a 
young  Porto  Rican  woman  cares  for  the  personal  re- 
ligious work  at  the  Humacao  clinic.  The  native 
helper  reads  the  Bible  passages,  gives  a  little  talk,  and 
offers  prayer;  then  a  hymn  is  sung  and  tracts  and 
other  religious  reading  matter  are  distributed. 

St.  Luke's,  under  the  Episcopal  Church,  at  Ponce, 
is  another  hospital  that  is  meeting  the  needs  of  people 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  island.  Other  denomina- 
tional hospitals  are  in  operation  at  various  points,  and 
just  as  with  the  settlement  and  evangelistic  work, 
their  usefulness  is  limited  only  by  lack  of  workers  and 
equipment. 

The  Symbol  of  Liberty 

A  young  man  who  was  in  Porto  Rico  before  the 
Spanish  had  entirely  withdrawn,  wrote  home :  "  The 
Spanish  soldiers  are  embarking  in  large  numbers  and 
will  soon  all  be  homeward  bound.  Then  we  expect 
to  celebrate !  We  will  have  a  flag  raising  and  make  it 
a  day  the  Porto  Ricans  will  remember.  Most  of  the 
Porto  Ricans  have  flags  but  they  are  afraid  of  show- 
ing them." 

The  people  did  not  know  what  that  new  flag  was  to 
mean  to  them,  but  as  they  belonged  to  a  new  country 
and  had  no  love  for  the  old,  it  was  the  part  of  wisdom 
to  possess  the  new  flag.  Whether  they  were  to  have 
a  new  form  of  government  or  a  new  religion,  they  did 
not  know. 

The  flag  has  been  the  means  of  bringing  blessings 
of  which  the  Porto  Ricans  never  dreamed:  there  are 


124        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

schools  for  all  children ;  there  are  hospitals  to  care  for 
the  sick;  there  are  churches  inviting  the  weary  and 
heavy  laden  to  come  and  find  rest;  there  is  a  Book  of 
which  they  never  knew,  a  Book  that  has  brought  com- 
fort and  joy  to  thousands  of  people  on  the  island; 
there  are  ministers  and  evangelists,  Bible  readers  and 
teachers,  nurses  and  deaconesses,  doctors  and  visitors, 
all  of  whom  have  come  through  the  unfurling  of  the 
flag. 

The  Church  has  by  no  means  completed  her  work  in 
Porto  Rico.  She  has  just  arrived  at  the  point  of 
greatest  opportunity.  She  must  concentrate  her  ef- 
forts on  the  social  and  evangelistic  work,  reaching  the 
thousands  who  have  been  so  far  passed  by  while  their 
more  fortunate  neighbors  have  been  offered  the  bless- 
ings of  the  Gospel.  She  must  seek  those  who  have  re- 
fused, the  careless  and  indifferent,  and  win  them  to  the 
truth.  Above  all  she  must  train  the  young,  that  there 
may  be  an  adequate  force  to  carry  the  Word  to  every 
valley  and  village  and  give  to  all  the  people  of  this 
beautiful  little  island  new  life,  new  hopes,  and  new 
aspirations. 


VI 
A  NEW  ERA 


"  Our  schools  have  done  a  great  work  in  New  Mexico  and 
they  still  have  a  great  service  to  render.  Were  they  with- 
drawn, the  cause  of  progress  would  suffer  a  serious  drawback. 
The  task  that  has  been  assigned  us  is  a  great  one  —  to  loose 
the  shackles  of  ignorance  and  superstition  that  have  bound 
a  race,  and  set  them  on  the  pathway  of  progress  and  useful- 
ness; to  train  a  generation  for  citizenship  and  cultivate  in 
them  the  virtues  of  temperance,  truthfulness,  and  social  purity ; 
to  place  the  cause  of  education  on  a  permanent  basis  of  effi- 
ciency unfettered  by  ecclesiastical  control;  to  aid  in  the  up- 
building of  a  great,  prosperous,  progressive  state ;  to  promote 
a  religion  that  walks  hand  in  hand  with  morality  and  intelli- 
gence—  such  is  our  mission  and  purpose,  and  we  must  not 
falter  nor  fail  until  it  be  accomplished." 

—  Rev.  J.  H.  Heald,  D.D. 

"  O,  Church  of  the  Living  God,  come  to  the  rescue  and  give 
to  the  poor  Lazarus  that  God  has  placed  within  our  gates,  yes, 
at  our  very  doors,  the  crumbs,  even  the  crumbs,  that  are  fall- 
ing from  your  tables.  Then,  when  this  ransomed  people  come 
with  gladness  unto  Zion  thou  shalt  joy  to  hear  the  valleys  and 
the  hills  break  forth  before  them  into  singing.  Thou  shalt 
join  the  raptured  strain,  exulting  that  the  Lord,  Jehovah,  God 
Omnipotent  doth  reign  over  all  the  earth." 


VI 

A  NEW  ERA 

It  is  desirable  to  summarize  briefly  the  work  among 
our  Spanish  speaking  peoples  as  a  whole.  They  are 
scattered  over  a  large  territory  touching  the  Pacific 
Ocean  on  the  west,  Mexico  on  the  south,  and  reaching 
far  out  into  the  Atlantic  and  number  about  three  and 
a  half  millions  of  people.  These  people,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  Cubans,  are  a  part  of  our  own  country, 
though  many  of  them  born  under  the  flag  are  in  ig- 
norance of  the  vital  principles  of  a  free  government. 
Where  the  Gospel  has  penetrated  there  has  come  light 
and  understanding;  where  it  has  been  withheld  there 
has  been  no  change  from  the  former  degradation  and 
decay. 

Missionary  Work  Among  Spanish  Speaking 

Peoples 

Evangelistic  Results. —  In  all  the  regions  where  mis- 
sionaries are  working  among  the  Spanish  speaking 
people  there  has  been  evinced  a  great  readiness  to 
hear  the  Gospel  preached.  Children  in  the  Sunday 
schools,  young  people  in  their  organizations,  and  old 
and  young  in  the  churches  have  responded  with  eager- 
ness to  the  invitation  that  has  been  offered.  That  the 
net  result  in  church  members  is  no  greater  is  due  only 

127 


128        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

to  the  fact  that  the  missionary  force  is  not  large 
enough  to  touch  more  than  a  part  of  the  field. 

Bible  readers  have  proven  to  be  a  great  help  to  the 
evangelistic  work.  Going  from  home  to  home,  they 
have  the  opportunity  not  only  of  leaving  portions  of 
the  Scriptures  and  reading  them  to  the  people,  but  of 
being  able  to  come  into  close  touch  with  family  life, 
to  receive  the  confidence  of  the  people,  and  to  help 
them  to  improve  their  surroundings. 

Educational  Results. —  The  percentage  of  illiteracy 
has  been  greatly  reduced  in  all  the  fields,  in  large  part 
due  to  the  work  of  the  government  of  course,  but  the 
Protestant  Church  through  its  missionaries  has  always 
encouraged  education,  and  supplemented  the  work  of 
the  authorities.  Wherever  the  public  school  is  of  good 
standard,  the  Church  withdraws  its  mission  school, 
concentrating  its  efforts  on  more  needy  points.  The 
boarding  schools  have  been  of  the  greatest  value  in 
carrying  on  the  work  of  the  Church,  for  in  them  are 
gathered  and  trained  the  young  men  and  women  who  go 
to  higher  institutions  for  special  training  or  return  to 
do  school  or  community  w^ork  for  their  own  people. 

Medical  and  Social  Work. — The  Church  has  not 
felt  it  necessary  to  open  medical  work  in  Cuba,  for 
the  general  physical  condition  of  the  people  is  good, 
and  the  Cuban  government  cares  for  hospital  work  in 
a  satisfactory  manner.  In  Porto  Rico,  however,  the 
medical  mission  has  been  a  great  aid  to  evangelistic 
work.  That  it  has  been  appreciated  by  the  people  has 
been  demonstrated  hundreds  of  times.  A  man  visited 
the  hospital  at  San  Juan  recently  asking  for  a  bed  for 


A  NEW  ERA  129 

his  sick  child,  only  to  find  there  was  no  place  for  him. 
Again  he  asked  if  there  was  a  place  in  the  private 
building  for  his  brother,  who  was  very  ill.  There  was 
no  place  there,  and  the  attendant  told  him  of  the  pros- 
pect of  a  new  plant  from  which  it  was  hoped  it  would 
not  be  necessary  to  turn  people  away.  His  answer 
was :  "  Well,  if  you  have  a  hospital  containing  two 
hundred  beds  they  will  always  be  full,  and  there  will 
be  lots  of  people  waiting  for  beds  yet." 

To  the  medical  mission  must  be  given  the  credit  of 
carrying  the  Gospel  of  healing  into  the  most  hope- 
lessly poverty-stricken  homes.  The  government  has 
wrought  wonders  in  banishing  yellow  fever  and  other 
tropical  scourges  from  the  islands  and  the  isthmus,  but 
the  Protestant  medical  missionary  has  sought  out  the 
poor  in  their  homes,  has  opened  hospitals  and  clinics 
for  those  who  were  financially  unable  to  secure  treat- 
ment elsewhere,  has  taught  them  to  observe  sanitary 
laws,  and  above  all  has  pointed  them  to  the  Great 
Physician  who  heals  both  body  and  soul. 

During  the  past  year  one  denomination  made  a  be- 
ginning of  medical  missionary  work  in  the  Southwest. 
The  "  Brooklyn  Hospital "  at  Embudo,  New  Mexico, 
with  its  ten  beds  under  the  care  of  a  missionary  nurse, 
will  be  a  blessing  to  many  sick.  A  building  for  dis- 
pensary use  has  been  added  to  one  of  the  missions, 
where  a  teacher  who  has  been  on  the  field  for  years 
will  be  able  to  care  for  the  sick  who  come  to  her  for 
every  need.  A  district  nurse  has  been  added  in  an- 
other mission. 

In  addition  to  the  work  of  the  nurses,  one  mission- 


130        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

ary  doctor  has  been  sent  to  New  Mexico.  It  has  been 
deemed  best  to  have  him  locate  at  some  distance  from 
the  nurses  who  are  ministering  to  the  people,  and  he 
has  been  stationed  in  a  field  which  will  include  a  popu- 
lation of  two  thousand  in  fourteen  plazas.  This  has 
been  named  the  "  Rincones  Medical  Station."  The 
doctor  has  been  provided  with  an  automobile  in  order 
that  he  may  extend  his  field  of  usefulness.  He  is  fif- 
teen miles  from  the  *'  Brooklyn  Hospital "  and  twenty- 
five  miles  from  the  nearest  doctor. 

Social  work  as  undertaken  by  the  Church  has  filled 
an  important  place  among  missionary  activities. 
Wherever  schools  have  been  closed  there  has  remained 
the  opportunity  to  carry  on  a  much  needed  work  in  the 
homes.  This  is  being  done  through  institutions  like 
the  Blanche  Kellogg  Institute  in  Porto  Rico,  in 
crowded  city  communities,  and  in  the  lonely  little  Mexi- 
can plazas.  The  missionaries  work  largely  with  the 
children,  but  reach  the  homes  through  the  children 
and  exert  their  energies  to  improve  home  conditions. 
They  lead  sewing  and  cooking  classes  for  mothers  as 
well  as  daughters,  plan  wholesome  social  diversions  for 
the  young,  provide  a  home  that  is  ever  open  for  the  peo- 
ple who  wish  to  enter  it  and  a  model  for  those  who  are 
inspired  to  make  their  own  homes  better.  The  workers 
perform  the  duties  of  doctors,  nurses,  dentists,  seam- 
stresses, or  any  other  work  they  are  called  upon  to  do. 

General  Results 

Awakened  Peoples. —  Among  the  Mexican  people 
in  earlier  years  there  was  a  dulness,  an  indifference, 


jModern  ]\Iission  School  in  the  Southwest 


Day  Nursery  in  Porto  Rico 


A  NEW  ERA  131 

an  acceptance  of  what  came,  without  any  attempt  to 
better  conditions.  The  same  qualities  have  existed  to 
a  greater  or  less  degree  among  the  other  Spanish 
speaking  peoples.  They  have  been  somewhat  roused 
from  this  apathy,  and  today  instead  of  basking  in 
the  sunshine  and  leaving  the  duties  of  today  for  a 
more  auspicious  tomorrow,  great  numbers  of  these 
people  have  been  awakened  by  education  and  religion  to 
the  desire  to  make  themselves  more  efficient  men  and 
women.  The  numbers  of  professional  and  trades  peo- 
ple who  have  graduated  from  our  schools  are  a  proof 
of  this  statement.  Life  has  attained  a  definite  pur- 
pose where  it  had  been  colorless.  The  war  in  Mexico 
with  all  its  horror,  ruin,  and  bloodshed,  has  been  a 
powerful  factor  in  rousing  the  Mexicans  in  America 
to  a  realization  of  what  it  means  to  belong  to  this 
country.  The  young  men  and  women  who  have  lived 
so  long  under  our  institutions  without  becoming  in 
reality  a  part  of  our  national  life,  cannot  help  con- 
trasting their  condition  with  that  of  those  of  their 
blood  on  the  other  side  of  the  line.  In  Colorado  and 
New  Mexico  they  are  calling  themselves  no  longer 
Mexicans,  but  Americans,  with  all  the  pride  and  sense 
of  responsibility  of  citizenship. 

A  Christian  Sabbath. —  Protestant  missions  have 
given  to  Spanish  America  a  truly  Christian  Sabbath. 
The  old  Sabbath  meant  mass  in  the  morning  and  the 
rest  of  the  day  spent  in  sports,  bull-fighting,  cock- 
fighting,  gambling,  and  drinking.  Usually  the  laborers 
devoted  Monday  to  recovering  from  Sunday's  debauch. 
Wherever  a  Protestant  congregation  has  been  formed. 


132        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

there  the  Christian  Sabbath  is  observed,  and  its  influ- 
ence is  rapidly  modifying  the  character  of  the  Romish 
Sabbath. 

Family  prayer  was  quite  unknown  among  the 
Spanish-Americans  before  the  advent  of  the  Protes- 
tant Church.  A  young  lady  from  a  prominent  Roman 
Catholic  family  in  Porto  Rico  went  for  a  short  visit 
to  the  home  of  a  Protestant  missionary.  After 
breakfast  they  had  family  prayers,  and  when  they 
rose  from  their  knees  the  young  lady  turned  to  the 
missionary,  and  with  tears  in  her  eyes  said,  "  You 
have  a  beautiful  custom  in  your  home."  Later  the 
missionary  dined  with  her  people,  and  as  they  gath- 
ered at  the  table  the  mother  said  to  him,  ''  Anita  tells 
me  you  are  accustomed  to  ask  a  blessing  at  the  table ; 
will  you  do  it  here  ?  "  So  little  by  little  the  influence 
of  the  missionaries  is  gaining  in  the  homes,  cleanliness 
and  godliness  going  hand  in  hand  and  transforming 
the  home  life. 

Comity. —  There  has  been  a  great  gain  to  the  home 
Church  through  these  Spanish-American  missions  in 
the  growth  of  the  spirit  of  comity  among  the  different 
missionary  organizations.  In  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico 
there  has  been  a  fair  division  of  the  field  among  these 
groups,  and  for  the  most  part  there  is  an  honest  keep- 
ing of  the  compact.  Human  nature  causes  discord 
now  and  then,  but  the  spirit  of  comity  is  growing.  A 
closer  cooperation  in  education,  in  training  schools, 
and  in  publications  indicates  the  approach  of  the  day 
when  all  will  work  in  perfect  harmony  and  waste  will 
be  eliminated.     The  aim  set  by  the  Panama  Confer- 


A  NEW  ERA  133 

ence  of  1916  pointed  toward  the  withdrawal  of  some 
denominations  from  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  and  the 
elimination  of  distinctive  denominational  emphasis, 
leading  to  the  use  of  the  general  name  of  the  "  Evan- 
gelical Church/*  This  aim  may  not  be  realized,  but  it 
is  a  step  toward  the  unity  that  is  so  desirable  among 
Spanish- Americans. 

In  the  southwest  of  the  United  States  there  is  an 
Interdenominational  Council  that  meets  once  a  year  to 
take  up  and  consider  all  questions  that  have  to  do  with 
the  work  among  the  Mexicans  in  the  United  States. 
There  are  snags  in  the  stream  and  there  are  differ- 
ences of  opinion,  but  the  end  is  being  gained. 

Larger  Aims  for  the  Future 

A  Better  Understanding  of  the  Spanish- Americans. 
There  is  needed  a  better  understanding  of  the  Span- 
ish-American people.  The  assumption  of  undoubted 
superiority  in  intellect  and  morals  on  the  part  of  the 
Saxon  has  been  a  constant  barrier  to  a  better  under- 
standing and  closer  relation  between  the  two  races. 

Few  Saxons  ever  get  into  either  the  mind  or  heart 
of  the  Latins.  The  assumption  of  racial  superiority 
has  often  led  to  a  degrading  patronage,  and  the  very 
men  who  should  stand  erect  in  the  presence  of  God 
and  men,  who  should  radiate  the  spirit  of  freedom  and 
independence  have  been  pauperized. 

For  keenness  of  intellect,  for  energy  and  courage, 
the  men  who  pushed  out  into  the  unknown,  crossed 
hitherto  untravelled  seas,  found  a  new  world,  burned 
their  ships  that  there  might  be  no  p/)ssibility  of  retreat, 


134        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

and  then  with  their  handful  conquered  that  world, 
need  fear  comparison  with  no  race  that  lives  or  has 
lived. 

A  leader  in  Latin  America  must  acquire  the  faculty 
of  seeing  things  from  the  Latin  point  of  view.  Just 
here  is  where  the  Saxon  missionaries  have  failed,  Lat- 
ins and  Saxons  do  not  see  things  through  the  same  eyes. 
One  great  mistake  made  in  mission  work  among  both 
Latins  and  Orientals  is  the  insistence  that  they  con- 
form to  our  way  of  thinking  and  seeing.  Their  think- 
ing men  are  keen  students  of  philosophy  and  keep 
abreast  of  the  developments  of  science,  and  it  is  use- 
less to  get  them  to  come  down  to  what  may  be  termed 
*'  pious  patter.'*  Dr.  George  Knox  said  of  the  mis- 
sionary to  Oriental  lands :  "  If  the  missionary  is  to 
succeed,  to  aid  in  making  the  new  civilization  Chris- 
tian, he  must  have  a  threefold  training :  first,  he  must 
intelligently  and  sympathetically  enter  into  the  spirit  of 
the  modern  scientific  world;  second,  he  must  under- 
stand the  civilization  of  the  land  to  which  he  goes ; 
third,  he  must  disentangle  the  essential  truths  of  Chris- 
tianity and  Occidental  forms  and  accidental  accre- 
tions." 

The  Latin  mind  is  essentially  Oriental,  and  what 
Dr.  Knox  has  said  applies  with  equal  force  to  Latin 
America.  To  know  the  mind  of  God  is  the  first  re- 
quisite of  the  missionary,  but  next  to  that  must  come 
a  knowledge  of  the  mind  of  the  people  over  whom  he 
shall  be  placed  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Need  of  a  Better  Knowledge  of  Spanish. —  One  of 
the  great  needs  of  missionary  workers  among  Latin 


A  NEW  ERA  135 

Americans  is  a  better  knowledge  of  the  Spanish  lan- 
guage and  its  literature.  This  is  as  necessary  in  Cuba, 
Porto  Rico,  and  the  Southwest  as  in  South  America, 
and  it  has  been  an  unfortunate  fact  that  many  who 
have  undertaken  work  in  American  parishes  which  has 
brought  them  into  contact  with  Spanish  speaking  peo- 
ple have  made  no  effort  to  learn  the  language.  There 
are  those  who  have  ministered  year  after  year  to  a 
handful  of  Americans  and  who  are  surrounded  by  far 
greater  numbers  of  Mexicans  who  know  not  the  Christ, 
and  yet,  with  the  tremendous  opportunity  presented  to 
them,  have  made  no  effort  to  learn  the  language  that 
would  make  it  possible  for  them  to  save  those  who  are 
dying  in  ignorance.  In  the  day  when  business  men  in 
all  parts  of  the  country  are  exerting  themselves  to  ac- 
quire Spanish  for  commercial  purposes,  should  not  the 
religious  worker  who  will  be  able  to  touch  the  spiritual 
nature  of  these  people  make  a  like  effort? 

The  translations  of  Scripture  and  hymns  into  Span- 
ish have  received  severe  criticism  from  those  who 
work  among  Spanish-Americans,  on  the  ground  that 
they  are  of  no  literary  value,  and  cannot  appeal  to  edu- 
cated people. 

As  well  as  a  better  knowledge  of  the  Spanish  lan- 
guage, there  is  needed  a  better  knowledge  of  Spanish 
history  in  the  New  World.  To  understand  the  Mexi- 
can, the  Porto  Rican,  and  the  Cuban,  his  historical 
background  must  be  appreciated,  for  the  history  of  his 
people  has  greatly  affected  him  personally. 

Better  Knozvledge  of  Mexicans  in  United  States. — 
The   people   of   America   are   more   ignorant   of   the 


136        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

needs  and  conditions  of  the  Mexicans  in  the  United 
States  than  of  the  people  of  any  other  part  of  the 
globe.  When  the  great  Christian  Endeavor  conven- 
tion met  in  Los  Angeles  in  the  midst  of  thousands  of 
Mexicans,  representatives  of  various  nations  were 
called  upon  to  rise  and  show  their  numbers ;  the  leader 
had  to  be  reminded  of  the  Mexican  people,  and  was 
amazed  at  their  numbers  when  he  called  upon  them, 
saying  he  had  not  expected  to  find  them  in  attendance. 
A  conference  on  work  among  the  immigrants  was 
called  in  the  same  city,  and  in  spite  of  their  being 
40,000  strong  in  Los  Angeles,  Mexicans  had  not  been 
included  in  the  list  of  immigrants  who  were  to  be  con- 
sidered. In  the  same  region  the  recent  Laymen's 
Missionary  Convention  had  no  place  on  its  program 
for  the  consideration  of  the  varied  needs  of  this  peo- 
ple. 

Some  day  the  story  of  the  great  Southwest  will  be 
heard;  the  story  of  the  heroism  and  sacrifices  of  the 
Franciscans,  their  great  work  for  the  natives,  and  the 
reason  why  their  work  did  not  abide;  the  story  of  a 
patient  and  uncomplaining  people,  little  understood, 
but  capable  of  great  things.  One  who  has  had  their 
interests  at  heart  for  years  has  said  "  Were  I  a  younger 
man  I  would  make  the  world  hear  that  story,  and 
arouse  the  Church  to  a  sense  of  the  wonderful  oppor- 
tunity we  now  have  of  doing  the  greatest  missionary 
work  of  the  century." 

Leaders  of  Their  Own  People, —  The  leaders  of 
Spanish  America  must  come  from  their  own  race  and 
be  of  their  own  thought  and  speech.     Steiner  says, 


A  NEW  ERA  137 

"  Blood  is  thicker  than  water,  but  language  is  thicker 
than  blood." 

No  alien  can  get  into  the  most  intimate  life  of  the 
Latins,  but  the  alien  in  blood  may  be  so  bound  to  them 
by  spiritual  and  sympathetic  ties  as  to  be  helpful  in 
the  development  of  a  leadership  from  among  their  own 
people.  To  do  this  he  must  meet  them  in  the  spirit  of 
brotherhood  and  service,  not  lordship.  The  object  of 
our  mission  is  not  to  get  them  to  follow  us,  but  to 
train  them  to  lead  others  to  Christ.  Little  progress 
can  be  made  in  spiritual  development  except  through 
leaders  who  can  enter  into  the  secret  place  of  their  life 
and  character. 

That  it  is  possible  to  train  young  men  for  the  re- 
ligious leadership  of  their  people  has  been  proved  in 
individual  cases  on  all  the  fields.  In  New  Mexico 
young  men  trained  in  the  mission  schools  have  been 
wonderfully  successful  in  leading  others  of  their  peo- 
ple to  accept  the  Saviour.  The  past  winter  the  prin- 
cipal of  one  of  the  New  Mexico  schools  wrote  of  the 
work  accomplished  by  two  of  their  graduates  with  ad- 
miration :  "  Last  year  and  this  our  evangelistic 
meetings  have  been  conducted  by  two  of  our  former 
pupils.  As  a  result  of  the  ten  days  of  meetings  with 
the  earnest  gospel  messages,  twelve  have  united  with 
the  church  and  forty-four  have  confessed  faith  in 
Christ.  Most  of  these  are  from  homes  of  early  mis- 
sion school  pupils.  I  have  many  friends  in  the  min- 
istry and  two  brothers,  but  do  not  know  any  in  whom 
I  have  more  confidence  and  for  whom  I  have  greater 
love  than  these  two  young  men,  now  evangelists  to 


138        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

their  own  people.  I  am  more  convinced  than  ever  be- 
fore that  the  way  to  lead  the  Spanish-Americans  to  a 
knowledge  of  the  Christ  is  through  the  mission 
schools,  and  through  these  splendid  Christian  workers 
who  are  developed  in  them." 

Educational  Work, —  That  educational  work  for  the 
Spanish  speaking  people  is  far  from  satisfactory  must 
be  confessed  by  all.  The  splendid  public  school  sys- 
tem of  Porto  Rico  has  relieved  the  missionaries  of 
the  need  of  dealing  with  the  matter  of  secondary  edu- 
cation, but  there  is  still  need  of  better  training  of 
leaders  for  work  as  pastors,  teachers,  Bible  readers, 
and  visitors.  Such  a  work  undertaken  interdenomi- 
nationally  to  a  greater  extent  than  is  now  done  would 
greatly  multiply  results  among  the  people.  In  Cuba 
and  New  Mexico  the  education  of  those  in  cities  and 
large  towns  is  well  provided  for  by  the  authorities, 
but  the  children  in  smaller  places  suffer  from  inade- 
quate school  facilities.  Neither  do  public  schools  give 
the  religious  and  moral  training  that  the  children  of 
these  people  do  not  get  in  their  homes,  so  the  educa- 
tional work  of  the  government  must  be  supplemented 
by  the  mission  work  in  order  that  the  highest  needs  of 
the  children  may  be  met.  Cuba  particularly  stands  in 
need  of  far  greater  missionary  effort  along  the  lines  of 
education. 

More  Work  for  the  Homes. —  Throughout  the  mis- 
sion fields  workers  are  found  using  their  utmost 
strength  in  their  endeavors  to  raise  the  standards  of 
family  life.  Home  has  seldom  been  a  pleasant  place, 
and  family  relations  have  not  been  held  sacred.     Mis- 


A  NEW  ERA  139 

sionaries  who  have  been  engaged  in  teaching  have  been 
able  to  improve  conditions  to  a  great  extent,  but  if  the 
home,  the  citadel  of  family  life,  is  to  be  permanently 
strengthened  there  must  be  more  Bible  women,  more 
district  nurses,  and  more  settlement  workers  whose 
primary  duty  it  is  to  go  into  the  homes.  It  is  a  most 
important  work  that  women  be  taught  to  make  home 
attractive  to  the  men  and  children  of  the  family,  for 
to  the  average  Spanish-American  home  is  the  place 
where  he  occasionally  eats  and  sleeps.  A  real  home 
would  tend  to  make  husbands  more  faithful  and 
woman's  lot  brighter.  There  are  occasional  homes 
that  are  worthy  of  the  name  —  the  homes  of  women 
who  have  been  trained  in  mission  schools.  When  these 
are  more  numerous  a  great  impulse  will  be  given  to  all 
missionary  work. 

Extension  of  Medical  Work. —  Medical  missions  in 
Porto  Rico  have  been  the  pride  of  the  Church.  In 
Cuba,  as  has  been  stated,  there  has  been  no  great  need 
of  these.  The  Southwest,  with  its  vast  regions  with- 
out any  medical  attendance  except  that  given  by  the  few 
scattered  teachers,  must  appeal  to  all  as  a  needy  field 
for  this  branch  of  missionary  work. 

Far  more  medical  work  is  needed  in  Porto  Rico  than 
is  carried  on  today  by  the  churches,  and  the  need  of 
an  extension  of  this  ministry  in  the  Southwest  is  im- 
perative. There  is  now  one  medical  missionary,  and 
there  are  hundreds  of  lonely  little  plazas  without  any 
medical  assistance.  It  is  not  fair  to  the  missionaries 
who  go  to  this  region  to  teach  and  preach  that  they 
should  be  compelled,  in  addition  to  their  other  duties, 


I40        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

to  bear  the  burden  of  caring  for  those  who  are  desper- 
ately sick.  No  field  at  home  or  abroad  is  in  greater 
need  of  doctors  and  nurses  than  this  Southwest  region. 

Opportunity  God's  Call  to  Action 

The  Call  to  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  Answered. — 
When  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  entered  into  their  present 
relations  with  the  United  States,  the  churches  of  the 
country  did  not  doubt  that  a  call  had  come  to  them, 
and  in  a  reverent  and  statesman-like  way  planned  a 
definite  method  of  facing  the  problems  confronting 
them  on  the  new  fields.  Though  the  work  has  been 
limited  to  a  great  degree  by  the  small  number  engaged 
in  it,  there  has  been  satisfaction  over  the  results  at- 
tained. These  islands  are  situated  between  the  two 
Americas,  and  stand  in  a  direct  line  of  travel  between 
the  Canal  Zone  and  European  trade.  Their  location 
is  strategic  from  a  commercial  point  of  view,  and  with 
the  results  of  missionary  work,  they  will  be  strategi- 
cally located  from  a  religious  point  of  view.  The  home 
mission  work  accomplished  in  these  islands  is  destined 
to  be  a  great  foreign  mission  asset.  Edward  A.  Odell 
of  Porto  Rico  speaks  of  the  hopes  and  the  immediate 
needs  of  the  island  of  POrto  Rico  in  these  words: 
"  As  the  Porto  Rican  is  looking  forward  to  the  time 
when  he  will  have  entire  control  of  his  own  govern- 
ment, just  so  the  native  church  is  looking  forward  to 
the  time  when  she  will  be  able  to  support  herself  and 
indeed  be  able  to  pass  the  gospel  along  to  the  south. 
But  this  day  must  be  necessarily  delayed  if,  when  mis- 
sions are  opened  and  the  work  is  prospering,  we  are 


A  NEW  ERA  141 

forced  to  retrench  because  our  ranks,  depleted  by  sick- 
ness, cannot  be  filled  by  men  able  and  willing  to  bear 
the  burden  —  if  burden  it  be.  I  could  tell  you  of  some 
of  the  Porto  Ricans  who,  mindful  of  the  sacrifice  made 
by  the  church  for  their  country,  are  now  nobly  giving 
their  services  to  this  work.  Let  the  peculiar,  unique, 
and  immediate  need  of  this  island  speak  now,  and  do 
not  falter  in  stretching  forth  the  hand  to  sow  while  the 
soil  is  waiting  for  the  seed." 

Home  Missions  Our  Defense. —  Americans  have  al- 
ways believed  in  the  gospel  of  preparedness.  Wher- 
ever a  mining  camp  was  opened,  there  was  found  the 
missionary,  and  there  came  the  school  teacher  to  pre- 
pare the  growing  community  for  worthy,  Christian 
citizenship. 

Where  the  lumber-jacks  penetrated  the  forests,  there 
they  were  followed  by  the  "  sky  pilot "  to  hold  them 
true  to  Christian  ideals. 

The  frontier  farmer,  the  immigrant  settler  on  our 
wide  prairies,  was  no  sooner  settled  than  he  was  sought 
out  by  the  circuit-rider,  that  the  rising  generation 
might  be  so  instructed  as  to  become  a  defense  and  not 
a  menace  to  society  and  country. 

Every  school,  every  church,  every  family  altar,  every 
institution  for  helping  the  helpless,  is  a  witness  to  the 
defensive  power  of  Home  Missions.  No  other  power 
is  adequate,  no  other  can  be  trusted. 

A  Lost  Opportunity. —  There  was  a  time  when  the 
markets  of  South  America  were  open  to  the  United 
States  and  to  be  had  for  the  taking.  When  William 
Wheelright  went  to  investigate  the  commercial  possi- 


142        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

bilities  throughout  the  republics  of  the  South  he  re- 
turned to  Boston  full  of  enthusiasm  and  sought  to 
enlist  American  capital  in  his  great  enterprise  for  the 
development  of  commerce  between  the  United  States 
and  South  America,  but  he  found  no  response  to  his 
appeals.  That  was  America's  opportunity  and  it  was 
suffered  to  pass. 

Wheelright  then  went  to  England  and  there  found 
willing  listeners  and  returned  to  Chile  backed  by  Eng- 
lish capital.  Railroads  and  telegraph  lines  were  built 
in  Chile  and  the  Argentine  Republic,  and  the  Pacific 
Steam  Navigation  Company  was  organized,  a  company 
that  practically  controlled  the  trade  of  both  coasts  from 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama  to  Cape  Horn.  So  strongly 
has  British  trade  entrenched  itself  that  for  almost  two 
generations  America  has  been  a  poor  fourth  in  South 
American  commerce. 

There  is  a  fine  monument  to  William  Wheelright  in 
the  plaza  of  Valparaiso,  but  it  might  well  stand  for  a 
memorial  to  American  folly  in  letting  pass  the  great 
opportunity.  We  failed  because  we  did  not  appreciate 
its  value. 

Such  an  opportunity  is  again  offered  to  us  in  this 
world's  crisis  to  make  good  with  Spanish  America  in  a 
higher  commerce. 

What  Can  We  Do?  —  America  has  given  to  the 
world  the  highest  form  of  government  known  to  his- 
tory. It  is  laid  upon  this  nation  to  give  to  the  world  a 
new  diplomacy,  one  where  language  will  be  the  expres- 
sion of  truth,  where  treaties  will  not  only  be  sacred, 
but  where  the  plighted  word  of  a  nation  will  be  backed 


A  NEW  ERA  143 

by  the  wealth,  the  power,  and  the  lives  of  her  people. 

Only  thus  can  this  great  nation  become  a  truly 
mighty  power  in  the  world.  To  reach  this  height  of 
national  honor  we  must  begin  with  our  nearest  neigh- 
bors, the  strangers  within  our  gates.  Had  we  done 
this  from  the  beginning  of  our  relations  with  South 
America  and  Mexico,  the  whole  line  of  republics  from 
the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Cape  would  stand  solidly  with  us 
against  the  world,  if  need  be.  But  American  egotism, 
indifference,  and  injustice  in  the  past  stand  as  a  mighty 
barrier  between  us  and  our  nearest  neighbor. 

The  Bearing  on  Home  Missions. —  It  may  be  aske-d, 
what  has  this  to  do  with  the  question  of  Home  Mis- 
sions? Everything:  the  half  million  or  more  of  Mexi- 
can refugees  who  are  now  in  the  United  States  because 
of  the  war  will  form  the  nucleus  around  which  will 
gather  the  elements  for  the  new  Mexico  that  is  to  be 
born ;  and  when  that  new  Mexico  is  born  there  will  re- 
main little  of  Old  Spain. 

The  children  of  the  Mexican  refugees  are  in  our 
schools  and  are  absorbing  both  the  principles  and  spirit 
of  our  liberty,  subject  to  law.  They  will  never  forget 
the  horrors  of  the  revolution,  and  those  scenes  will  be 
contrasted,  in  their  minds,  with  the  peace  they  have  en- 
joyed under  the  American  flag.  Many  of  the  better 
class  of  Mexicans,  for  their  children's  sake,  are  taking 
out  citizenship  papers.  What  that  means  to  them  only 
those  who  know  the  Mexican's  loyalty  to  his  country 
and  flag  can  appreciate.  They  have  come  to  us  with  a 
bitter  prejudice  against  all  things  American.  In  Mexi- 
can schools  and  histories  the  American  flag  is  spoken 


144        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

of  as  "La  bandera  odiada  "  (the  hated  banner),  but 
here  the  people  have  found  that  it  represents  human 
rights  for  all  races  and  nations. 

The  people  of  southwest  Texas  have  now  the  most 
serious  problem  with  which  they  have  ever  had  to  deal. 
It  consists  not  only  of  the  Mexicans  across  the  border, 
but  the  resident  Mexicans,  the  majority  of  them  illiter- 
ate and  unskilled,  who  form  more  than  half  the  popula- 
tion in  some  counties.  In  El  Paso  there  are  more  than 
thirty  thousand  Mexicans,  many  of  them  people  of  cul- 
ture and  refinement  who  have  never  known  want,  but 
who  are  now  in  destitute  circumstances.  Mexicans 
have  reached  California,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona  also 
in  great  numbers,  and  both  state  and  church  are  facing 
the  problem.  People  of  this  country  have  been  sending 
of  their  wealth  across  the  ocean  to  the  homeless  and 
suffering,  unmindful  of  the  fearful  need  along  the 
Mexican  border.  The  first  should  be  helped,  but  the 
others  should  not  be  left  to  perish.  Some  of  the  320,- 
000  who  have  come  to  Texas  alone  are  converts  under 
the  Protestant  missionaries  in  Old  Mexico.  Those 
who  have  heard  the  Gospel  message  know  their  Bibles 
and  are  wonderful  examples  of  Christian  faith  and  en- 
durance. 

In  the  history  of  the  United  States  so  large  a  num- 
ber has  seldom  come  to  us  from  one  foreign  country  in 
the  same  length  of  time.  All  the  dangers  we  have 
faced  from  the  immigrants  who  have  thronged  Ellis 
Island  in  past  years  are  being  faced  on  our  southern 
border.  Unless  these  individuals  are  won  by  the 
friendliness  and  kindness  of  our  people,  they  will  be  a 


A  NEW  ERA  145 

great  menace  to  our  nation,  but  If  they  are  reached  and 
made  to  believe  that  we  stand  as  brothers  to  help  them 
in  their  destitution  and  misery,  they  will  be  a  desirable 
element  in  our  national  life.  Old  Mexico  will  be  more 
helped  by  missionary  effort  now  in  California,  Texas, 
and  elsewhere  in  the  United  States,  than  by  the  work 
of  missionaries  who  may  go  across  the  border  after  the 
war  ends.  The  people  who  become  true  followers  of 
Christianity  during  their  exile  in  this  country  will  be 
the  best  missionaries  to  Mexico.  We  can  today  touch 
the  Mexican  life  as  never  before.  Never  again  will 
such  an  opportunity  be  given  us.  The  Mexican  must 
be  regarded  as  a  brother  with  rights  as  inalienable  as 
ours.  Churches  for  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  in- 
dustrial schools  to  train  the  young  people  for  the  new 
duties  of  their  changed  life,  and  sympathetic  fair  treat- 
ment will  be  an  intervention  that  will  win  a  large  place 
in  the  love  and  confidence  of  the  Mexico  of  to-morrow, 
and  in  Latin  America  for  all  time. 

The  Church's  Problem. —  The  problem,  then,  that 
confronts  the  Christian  churches  of  America  at  this 
moment  is  the  speedy  evangelization  of  the  million  or 
more  Mexicans  in  our  land,  and  through  them  their 
countrymen  across  the  border.  The  tremendous 
energy  that  was  shown  in  exploration  and  in  church 
building  in  the  sixteenth  century  is  not  dead.  It  is  in 
the  tomb  awaiting  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God.  That 
energy,  quickened  by  God's  Spirit,  can  be  used  for  the 
building  of  God's  Kingdom  in  Latin  America. 

John,  being  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  Day,  had  a 
wonderful  vision  of  the  things  that  should  come  to 


146        OLD  SPAIN  IN  NEW  AMERICA 

pass.  Would  that  we,  being  in  the  Spirit,  might  have  a 
glorious  vision  of  the  New  America,  from  the  frozen 
north  to  Cape  Horn,  under  the  influence  of  God's 
Spirit,  unfolding  in  righteousness  and  truth.  Mexico 
may  be  redeemed  and  blossom  as  the  garden  of  the 
Lord.  South  America  with  her  virgin  forests,  with  her 
immense  fertile  plains  and  valleys,  with  her  mountains 
full  of  untouched  wealth,  with  the  possibilities  of  her 
people  awakening  from  the  slumber  of  four  centuries, 
will  develop  in  material  wealth  and  power.  The  task 
of  transforming  the  two  continents  into  a  mighty  world 
power,  standing  for  the  right  of  man  to  be  and  to  do 
the  very  best  possible,  is  today  in  the  hands  of  Chris- 
tian America. 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 

CONCERNING  THE  GREAT  SOUTHWEST 

1492  —  Columbus  discovered  the  New  World. 

1512  —  Ponce  de  Leon  discovered  Florida. 

15 13  —  Balboa  discovered  the  Pacific. 
1519  —  Cortez  conquered  Mexico. 

.1539  —  Ferdinand  de  Soto  discovered  the  Mississippi 
River. 

1683  —  Sack  of  Vera  Cruz. 
^  1769  —  Serra  reached  California  and  founded  mis- 
sions. 

1 82 1  —  Mexico  freed  from  Spain. 

1845  —  Texas  admitted  as  a  state. 

1848  —  California  and  Nevir  Mexico  ceded  to  United 
States  by  Mexico. 

Population 

Seven  states  have  a  large  Mexican  population,  ac- 
cording to  the  last  census,  and  since  that  was  taken  a 
far  greater  number  of  Mexicans,  variously  estimated 
from  500,000  to  1,000,000  have  crossed  the  border. 
These  have  located  almost  entirely  in  these  same  states. 
The  census  report  (1910)  is  as  follows : 

Total  Mexican 

Population  Population 

Texas   3,896,542  125,016 

Colorado 799,024  2,603 

New  Mexico 327,301  11,918 

Arizona    204,354  29,987 

California    2,377,549  33,694 

Oklahoma    1,657,155  2,744 

Kansas     1,690,949  8,429 

149 


150  APPENDIX 

Of  the  total  population  of  Mexicans  in  the  United 
States  all  but  5,412  were  living  in  these  seven  states. 
In  addition  to  the  number  who  were  born  in  Mexico 
there  was  recorded  a  population  of  162,200  who  were 
born  of  Mexican  or  mixed  parentage.  The  total  Mexi- 
can population  including  the  foreign  born  and  those  of 
mixed  or  Mexican  parentage  amounted  to  382,002. 

CUBAN  FACTS 

1492  —  Discovered  by  Columbus. 

1508  —  Cuba  discovered  to  be  an  island. 

15 1 1  — Velasquez  sent  to  colonize. 

1524  —  First  slaves  in  New  World  brought  to  Cuba. 

1 55 1  —  Havana  became  capital. 

1585  —  Drake  threatened  attack. 

1762  —  Invaded  and  conquered  by  the  English. 

1763  —  Returned  to  Spain  by  England. 
1829  —  Uprising  against  Spain. 

1844  —  Uprising  against  Spain. 

1848  —  Chinese  coolies  taken  to  Cuba. 

1868-1878  —  Ten  Years'  War.  (Cost  Spain  lives  of 
8,000  officers,  200,000  privates  and  $300,000,000.) 

1869  —  Slavery  abohshed  by  new  Republic.  (Total 
abolition,  1887.) 

1895  —  Final  war  of  liberation. 

1898  —  Destruction  of  Maine,  and  interference  of 
United  States. 

1902  —  Cuban  Republic  established. 

The  trade  of  Cuba  per  capita  is  greater  than  that  of 
any  North  or  South  American  country.  For  1913- 
19 14  it  amounted  to  $300,951,000,  of  which  the  ex- 
ports amounted  to  $169,130,000. 

The  population  of  Cuba  in  1907  was  2,048,980;  of 
whom  1,224,510  were  whites,  2y4,2y2  negroes,  334>695 
mulattoes,  11,837  Chinese,  203,696  foreigners. 

The  following  statistical  table  of  results  of  Prot- 


APPENDIX 


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152  APPENDIX 

estant  missions  in  Cuba  was  compiled  by  Rev.  J.  Milton 
Greene,  D.D.  for  the  Assembly  Herald.  Dr.  Greene 
stated  that  something  should  be  added  for  the  Disciples, 
Adventists,  and  Pentecostals,  whose  figures  he  had  not 
been  able  to  secure. 

The  Missionary  District  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in- 
cludes Cuba  and  the  Isle  of  Pines.  The  Board  appro- 
priates for  this  support  $45,189  yearly.  Forty-eight 
stations  are  maintained  by  this  church. 

PORTO  RICAN  FIGURES 

1493  —  Columbus  first  landed. 

1509  —  Ponce  de  Leon  appointed  governor. 

15 1 1  —  Half  Spanish  force  slaughtered  by  Indians. 

1533  —  Authorities  petitioned  empress  against  fur- 
ther introduction  of  slaves. 

1595  —  Attacked  by  Sir  Francis  Drake. 

1625  —  Besieged  by  Dutch. 

1797  —  Besieged  by  English. 

1837  —  Porto  Ricans  deprived  of  right  of  representa- 
tion in  Spanish  Cortes. 

1868  —  Insurrection  of  Lares. 

1873  —  31,000  slaves  received  freedom. 

1895  —  Reform  laws  enacted. 

1897  —  Royal  decree  conceding  autonomy  to  Porto 
Rico  signed. 

1898  —  Became  possession  of  United  States. 

1900  —  Modified  territorial  form  of  government  for 
Porto  Rico  voted  by  Congress. 
i  n        —  Porto  Ricans  admitted  to  full  citizenship. 

"  A  practical  matter  of  first  importance  is  the  crea- 
tion of  a  public  sentiment  that  shall  insist  upon  the 
granting  of  the  rights  of  citizenship  to  the  Porto 
Ricans.  The  present  situation  is  anomalous,  full  of 
friction  and  disastrous  to  the  missionary  as  well  as  the 
other  highest  interests  of  the  island.     Porto  Ricans  will 


APPENDIX  153 

never  feel  right  towards  Americans  until  Americans 
treat  them  right  in  this  matter  of  citizenship."  ~ 

Rev.  Howard  B.  Grose,  D.D. 

(Note.  Statistical  report  of  Protestant  Missions  in 
Porto  Rico  and  map  showing  boundaries  of  these  mis- 
sions are  given  in  booklet  "  Protestant  Missions  in 
Porto  Rico."     Statistics  were  gathered  in  191 1.) 

According  to  the  last  census  the  population  of  Porto 
Rico  is  1,183,173.  In  1915  the  United  States  exported 
goods  to  Porto  Rico  to  the  value  of  $30,149,764  and 
imported  from  the  same  island  merchandise  valued  at 
$41,950,419. 

The  Legislature  of  191 5  made  women  eligible  for 
membership  on  school  boards,  designated  a  Mothers* 
Day,  and  established  a  juvenile  court. 

PROTESTANT  MISSIONS  TO  SPANISH  AMERICANS 

In  response  to  a  questionnaire  sent  out  to  secure  in- 
formation regarding  the  work  of  the  different  denomi- 
nations among  Spanish  speaking  peoples,  the  following 
facts  have  been  secured.  The  results  have  been  un- 
satisfactory, as  some  failed  to  give  any  information, 
in  some  cases  the  information  was  not  definite,  and  in 
others  the  work  of  the  women's  boards  and  the  men's 
are  so  united  that  it  has  been  necessary  to  give  that 
of  the  entire  Church. 

Cuba 

According  to  the  most  accurate  data  obtainable  there 
are  now  laboring  in  Cuba  47  ordained  missionaries,  40 
women  missionaries,  200  native  workers;  there  are 
about  200  regular  and  outstations,  10,000  communi- 
cants, 7,000  pupils  enrolled  in  Sunday  schools,  2^^  day 
schools  with  an  enrollment  of  1,600  pupils,  and  4  higher 
institutes  with  an  enrollment  of  375. 


154  APPENDIX 

Porto  Rico 

Porto  Rico  has  about  60  ordained  missionaries,  65 
women  missionaries,  210  native  workers,  570  churches 
and  outstations,  with  a  total  of  14,000  communicants. 
The  Sunday  schools  of  all  denominations  have  an  ag- 
gregate attendance  of  13,000.  There  are  35  mis- 
sion day  schools  with  approximately  3,000  pupils  in  at- 
tendance. The  main  purpose  of  the  day  schools  was 
to  cooperate  with  the  public  schools,  providing  for  those 
in  the  cities  who  could  not  attend  on  account  of  pov- 
erty, or  for  the  rural  districts  where  there  was  inade- 
quate provision  by  the  government.  As  fast  as  the 
public  school  system  provides  for  the  primary  grades, 
the  mission  schools  of  like  grade  are  being  given  up. 

The  Baptist  Training  School  at  Rio  Piedras,  the 
Polytechnic  Institute,  interdenominational  but  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in  San 
German,  the  Theological  Training  School  at  Mayaguez, 
carried  on  by  the  Congregationalists,  United  Brethren 
and  the  Presbyterians  are  outstanding  institutions. 

Three  orphanages,  the  G.  O.  Robinson,  for  girls,  at 
San  Juan,  and  one  for  boys,  bearing  the  same  name, 
at  Hatillo,  under  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
the  Christian,  for  boys,  near  Bayamon,  are  providing 
for  a  class  of  children  who,  before  the  advent  of  Prot- 
estantism, were  without  hope. 

Three  great  healing  institutions,  St.  Luke's,  Epis- 
copal, at  Ponce;  the  Presbyterian,  at  San  Juan,  and 
the  Rye  Hospital  at  Mayaguez,  are  doing  as  great  a 
work  as  has  ever  been  known  in  the  history  of  modern 
missions.  Clinics  are  held  at  different  mission  sta- 
tions, and  the  fame  of  the  healings  has  gone  through 
all  the  island.  Another  hospital  is  being  erected  by 
Congregationalists  at  Humacao. 

Baptist. —  The  missionary  work  of  the  Baptist  So- 
ciety is  a  most  important  one  and  covers  more  territory 


APPENDIX  155 

than  any  other  in  the  island.  They  have  important 
churches  in  San  Juan,  Rio  Piedras,  Ponce,  Yauco,  Ad- 
juntas,  Caguas,  Cayey,  and  many  other  points. 

Fine  church  buildings  have  been  erected  by  all  the 
organizations  engaged  in  missionary  work,  contributing 
largely  to  the  success  of  the  missionary  effort  in  a  land 
where  the  "  temple  "  means  so  much  in  religion. 

The  influence  of  the  Christian  character  of  the  con- 
verts is  being  felt  in  all  the  island,  and  Protestantism 
will  soon  stand  an  equal  chance  with  the  dominant 
church.  It  must  do  more;  the  American  ideal  must 
take  deep  root  in  this  guard  of  the  Panama  Canal.  A 
strongly  Christian  population  will  be  the  best  defense. 

In  the  Southwest 

In  the  United  States  proper,  work  is  being  carried  on 
in  six  states,  Florida,  Texas,  Colorado,  New  Mexico, 
Arizona,  and  California.  In  Florida  the  Spanish 
speaking  people  are  mostly  Cubans,  while  in  the  other 
five  states  they  are  Mexicans. 

Methodist  Episcopal,  South. — sin  the  States  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  is  doing  a  large 
evangelistic  work.  They  have  60  Mexican  churches  in 
Texas  and  7  Cuban  churches  in  Florida,  with  a  total 
membership  of  2,900;  2y  missionaries,  both  men  and 
women,  are  employed,  20  Mexican  and  7  Cuban. 
There  are  under  their  care  62  Mexican  and  7  Cuban 
Sunday  schools,  i  boarding,  2  day,  and  3  night 
schools  with  a  total  enrollment  of  915.  In  medical  and 
social  work  they  have  17  deaconesses,  i  trained  nurse, 
and  20  teachers. 

The  work  of  this  church  among  the  Spanish  speak- 
ing people  began  in  1881  among  the  Mexicans  and  in 
1892  among  the  Cubans  in  Tampa,  Florida.  The  mem- 
bership in  Tampa  is  300,  with  a  Sunday  school  enroll- 
ment of  500. 


156  APPENDIX 

Methodist  Episcopal. —  In  California  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  is  successfully  carrying  on  three  lines 
of  mission  work:  Evangelistic,  including  regular 
preaching  services  in  the  streets  as  well  as  in  churches, 
distribution  of  tracts,  literature  and  Bibles ;  Social,  aid- 
ing the  poor  with  work,  clothing  and  food,  house  to 
house  and  hospital  visitation,  opening  reading-rooms 
and  clubs ;  Industrial,  cooperative  laundry,  employment 
agencies  and  industrial  education  in  the  Spanish- Ameri- 
can Institute  at  Gardena. 

There  are  ii  regular  charges,  14  outstations,  and  4 
church  buildings,  with  a  total  membership  of  304. 

The  two  most  important  educational  institutions  for 
the  Mexicans  conducted  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  California  are  the  Spanish- American  Insti- 
tute for  boys,  at  Gardena,  and  the  Francis  De  Pauw 
Industrial  School  for  girls  at  Los  Angeles.  Both  are 
well  equipped  and  are  doing  a  fine  work.  In  New 
Mexico  there  is  an  industrial  school  for  girls,  located 
in  Albuquerque,  called  The  Harwood  School,  in  recog- 
nition of  the  services  of  Dr.  Thomas  Harwood,  a 
pioneer  missionary  of  that  church.  A  settlement  house 
has  been  opened  in  El  Paso,  in  connection  with  the 
evangelistic  work  in  that  border  city  with  its  40,000 
needy  Mexicans.  Another  school  for  Spanish  speak- 
ing girls,  which  was  opened  in  Tucson,  Arizona,  is  now 
housed  in  a  commodious  building  of  its  own,  and  is 
preparing  the  home  makers  of  the  next  generation. 

Presbyterian  U.  S.  A. —  The  Presbyterian  Church, 
U.  S.  A.,  has  work  among  the  Mexicans  in  the  five 
southwestern  states.  The  total  church  membership  in 
the  five  states  is  1,850.  They  have  a  strong  work 
among  the  young  people  in  Colorado ;  the  annual  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  conventions,  held  continuously  for  nine- 
teen years,  and  constantly  increasing  in  interest,  re- 
veal the  strong  hold  the  evangelical  faith  has  upon  the 
new  generation  of  Spanish-American  citizens. 


APPENDIX  157 

No  class  of  mission  work  of  this  church  has  given 
better  returns  than  the  service  rendered  by  the  conse- 
crated teachers  in  the  plaza  schools.  In  Colorado  and 
New  Mexico  the  Presbyterians  have  10  day  schools 
with  15  teachers  and  an  enrollment  of  743  pupils.  The 
most  prominent  schools  under  the  Woman's  Board  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  in  its  work  among  the  Mexi- 
cans are  the  Menaul  Training  School  for  boys  at  Albu- 
querque, New  Mexico,  the  Allison-James  School  for 
girls  at  Santa  Fe,  and  the  Forsythe  Memorial  School 
for  girls  at  Los  Angeles.  The  Menaul  school  has  a 
corps  of  15  workers  and  an  enrollment  of  157;  the 
Allison-James  has  12  workers  and  an  enrollment  of 
105 ;  and  the  Forsythe  a  corps  of  6  workers  and  an  en- 
rollment of  50. 

Already  men  and  women  have  gone  out  from  the 
New  Mexican  schools  who  are  exerting  a  strong  influ- 
ence in  the  educational  and  social  life  of  New  Mexico 
and  Colorado;  and  even  to  Old  Mexico  have  gone 
pupils  who  are  carrying  the  seeds  of  the  new  life  and 
hope  to  that  stricken  land. 

The  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A.,  has  work  at  only 
three  points  in  Texas :  El  Paso,  San  Antonio,  and  San 
Angelo.  In  the  latter  place  there  is  a  day  school  in  ad- 
dition to  the  regular  church  service.  Settlement  work 
will  be  undertaken  soon  in  El  Paso  and  San  Antonio. 

Presbyterian,  U.  S. —  The  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States,  or  Southern  Presbyterian  Church, 
has  been  brought  into  close  touch  with  a  large  Mexican 
population,  especially  in  the  state  of  Texas.  They  be- 
gan work  there  in  1883.  A  Texas-Mexican  Presby- 
tery has  been  formed  that  includes  the  work  in  Mexico 
and  Texas.  There  are  more  than  1,000  Mexican 
church  members  in  this  Presbytery. 

The  increase  of  the  Mexican  population  from  150, 
000  to  400,000  in  the  last  ten  years  has  laid  upon  this 
church  a  heavy  burden  in  trying  to  meet  the  increasing 


158  APPENDIX 

demands  for  evangelistic  and  educational  work.  A 
new  church  building  in  El  Paso  has  given  a  new  im- 
petus to  the  work  in  that  important  center. 

An  industrial  school  at  Kingsville,  Texas,  is  planned 
to  meet  the  needs  of  the  great  Mexican  population  on 
the  border,  and  is  destined  to  exert  a  great  influence  in 
preparing  for  useful  citizenship  the  hitherto  neglected 
youth  of  Mexican  birth.  It  was  opened  in  19 12  with 
50  students  and  many  more  on  the  waiting  list.  The 
farm  of  669  acres  provides  a  fine  field  for  agricultural 
instruction  and  experimental  work. 

The  work  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.,  in 
Florida,  is  confined  to  the  Cubans  in  Ybor  City  and 
Key  West.     Exact  statistics  are  not  available. 

Congregational. —  The  Congregational  Church  sur- 
rendered its  work  in  Cuba  to  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
U.  S.  A.  In  Porto  Rico  they  have  the  eastern  end  of 
the  island,  in  accordance  with  the  comity  agreement 
made  between  the  different  societies  at  the  opening  of 
the  work  immediately  after  the  American  occupation. 

The  educational  work  at  Blanche  Kellogg  Insti- 
tute, on  the  Military  Road,  in  Santurce,  has  been  dis- 
continued and  the  buildings  are  used  for  Community 
Settlement  and  Social  Service.  The  statistics  for  the 
Congregational  missions  are  fortunately  available ;  they 
are  as  follows:  Ordained  American  Missionaries,  4; 
Native  Workers,  7;  Churches,  ii;  Membership,  731; 
Benevolent  Contributions,  $109.42;  Outstations,  38; 
Women  Missionaries,  3 ;  Teachers  in  Blanche  Kellogg 
Institute,  4. 

An  advance  has  been  made  in  comity  by  the  union 
of  the  Congregational  force  with  the  Presbyterians, 
Baptists,  and  United  Brethren  in  maintaining  an 
Evangelical  Press.  A  fourth  hospital  is  promised  for 
the  eastern  end  of  the  island  as  soon  as  plans  can  be 
perfected.  This  will  be  under  denominational  con- 
trol. 


APPENDIX  159 

In  Los  Angeles  the  Congregationallsts  have,  for  some 
years,  conducted  an  institutional  work  for  both  Ameri- 
cans and  Mexicans ;  but  latterly  the  institutional  work 
has  been  given  up  and  the  Mexican  evangelistic  work 
has  been  federated  with  that  of  the  Presbyterians  under 
a  Presbyterian  pastor,  an  arrangement  that  has  proved 
satisfactory  to  all. 

In  New  Mexico  they  have  three  churches,  five  day 
schools,  one  very  successful  boarding  school,  the  latter 
located  at  Albuquerque. 

The  most  important  work  of  this  church  in  the  South- 
west is  that  in  El  Paso,  where  there  is  a  flourishing 
church  whose  influence  is  being  felt  on  both  sides  of  the 
boundary  line.  Plans  are  being  discussed  for  a  more 
extended  effort  in  the  line  of  social  activity  among  the 
dense  population  in  "  Little  Chihuahua." 

Christian. —  The  work  of  the  Christian  Church 
among  the  Spanish  speaking  people  in  Porto  Rico  is 
confined  mostly  to  the  southern  part  of  the  island, 
though  they  have  an  important  work  on  a  little  strip  in 
the  north.  There  they  have  one  church  and  an  orphan 
asylum  for  boys. 

In  the  territory  for  which  this  church  is  responsible 
on  the  south,  there  are  not  less  than  75,000  souls.  For 
this  great  number  they  have  only  four  missionaries. 
They  have  a  church  membership  of  190,  ten  Sunday 
schools  with  an  enrollment  of  750,  5  organizations  and 
a  property  valued  at  $14,000. 


/ 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Acosta,  Joseph  de  —  HIstoria  de  Las  Indias. 

Bancroft,    H.    H. —  History    of    Arizona    and    New 
Mexico. 

Bancroft,  H.  H. —  History  of  Mexico. 

Bourne,  E.  G.,  Ph.D. —  Spain  in  America. 

Brown,  Hubert  W. —  Latin  America. 

Cappa,     Padre     Ricardo  —  Derecho     de     Conquistar 
America. 

Carter,  O.  C.  S. —  Acoma;  The  Cliff  City  of  New 
Mexico. 

Craig,  Robert  M. —  Our  Mexicans. 

Curtis,    WilHam   E. —  Between   the    Andes    and   the 
Ocean. 

Davis,  W.  H. —  Spanish  Conquest  of  New  Mexico. 

Dinwiddie,  William  —  Porto  Rico  and  Its  Possibilities. 

Fairbanks,  George  R. —  The  Spaniards  in  Florida. 

Forbes-Lindsay  —  Cuba,  Past,  Present  and  Future. 

Forbes-Lindsay  —  Porto  Rico. 

Fornaro  Carlo  de  —  Carranza  and  Mexico. 

Gutierrez  de  Lara,  L. —  The  Mexican  People  and  Their 
Struggle  for  Liberty. 
Xjrose,  Howard  B. —  Advance  in  The  Antilles. 

Llalstead,  Murat  —  The  Story  of  Cuba. 

Inman,  Col.  Henry  —  The  Old  Santa  Fe  Trail. 

James,  George  Wharton  —  In  and  Out  of  the  Old  Mis- 
sions. 

Lummis,  Charles  F. —  The  Land  of  Poco  Tiempo. 

Lummis,  Charles  F. —  Spanish  Pioneers. 

Lowry,  W. —  Spanish  Settlements  in  the  United  States. 

Morris,  C. —  Historical  Tales  of  Porto  Rico. 

i6o 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  i6i 

Prince,    L.    Bradford  —  Concise    History    of    New 
Mexico. 

Rankin,  Melinda  —  Twenty  Years  Among  the  Mexi- 
cans. 

Read,    Benjamin    M. —  Illustrated    History   of    New 
Mexico. 

Reed,  John  —  Insurgent  Mexico. 
VRees,  Thomas  —  Spain's  Lost  Jewels. 
^  Richman,  L.  B. —  California  Under  Spain  and  Mexico. 

Romero,  Matias  —  Mexico  and  the  United  States. 

Starr,  Frederick  —  Mexico  and  the  United  States. 

Winton,  George  B. —  Mexico  To-day. 


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